Advancing Welfare Bill Holds Radical Changes
By Judith Havemann and Barbara Vobejda
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, July 17, 1996; Page A06
The welfare legislation that appears headed for passage this week represents major compromises from both sides since their standoff on the issue last year. But if enacted, the measure would still impose the most radical changes ever in the nation's welfare system, ending the 60-year-old guarantee of aid to the disadvantaged.
President Clinton and the Republican leadership in Congress both say they want to enact historic welfare reform, and for months their positions have been converging. Still, obstacles remain as the president demands further concessions and Republicans are saying they will not mold their bill simply to secure his signature.
If they ultimately agree to the GOP-written legislation, Clinton and congressional Democrats would have to accept major spending reductions on the poor, knowing that the bill would increase the number of children living in poverty. Even though Clinton praised the latest version yesterday, the legislation remains a conservative plan -- imposing strict time limits on benefits and turning a federal program over to the states.
Republicans argue they already have made major concessions since they introduced a much more stringent bill early last year. They have added $4 billion for child care for welfare mothers who will be denied benefits unless they work. The Republicans also scaled back plans to revamp federal foster care, payments to the families of disabled children and the school lunch program.
"I think we've now reached a real turning point, a breakthrough for welfare reform," Clinton said yesterday in an address to the National Governors' Association. "I'm pleased that the congressional leadership has made several significant improvements that have made this a much better bill."
Among the changes still sought by the president is a requirement to provide basic services to children whose parents have been cut off welfare. Clinton is also urging Congress to ease proposed restrictions on legal immigrants as well as proposed reductions on food stamp benefits.
"We don't want to draw lines in the sand. But we want to set direction," said presidential adviser George Stephanopoulos.
During recent strategy sessions Clinton has left Democratic congressional leaders with no doubt that he wants Congress to pass a bill he can sign, officials familiar with the meetings said.
"He's not going to sign anything, just because it's got welfare in the title," said Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), who has worked with moderate Republicans to fashion a bipartisan alternative to the Republican bill. Still, Breaux said he was optimistic that the Senate would approve at least some of the provisions Clinton seeks. Many of the most objectionable elements of last year's bill have already been removed, he said.
"I think the chances are better than 50-50 that we will get a welfare bill the president can sign," Breaux said.
If the president signs the measure, even with the amendments he is seeking, he will be approving a bill that goes far beyond the plan he proposed two years ago.
Clinton had advocated welfare recipients be required to work after receiving benefits for two years. But the federal guarantee of aid to the needy would have remained in place. The administration, however, did not push the plan, opting to focus its energies on health care battles in 1994.
The Republican takeover of Congress after the 1994 election, however, allowed the GOP to take control of the welfare issue. Now, the bill they are pushing, would:
End the federal guarantee of assistance to eligible poor families with children and limit benefits to five years. States could exempt up to 20 percent of families from the lifetime cutoff.
Give states vast flexibility to design their own systems and establish their own rules. Every adult would have to go to work within two years or lose benefits.
Allow states to prohibit payments to unmarried teenage mothers and require them to stay in school and live with an adult.
Require states to bar additional payments to women who conceive additional children while on welfare, unless the state passes legislation opting out of the provision.
Reduce the growth in the food stamp program by $28.4 billion over six years, limit the deductions for shelter costs and allow some states to receive their food stamps as a optional block grant.
Bar aid to most noncitizens.
Overhaul the rules for the Supplemental Security Income program to cut off payments to children with less severe disabilities.
© 1996 The Washington Post Co.
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