HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

“In tough economic times, action is needed to help struggling Americans.  But we won’t help struggling Americans or stimulate our economy by removing work requirements for welfare recipients or encouraging Americans to be dependent on government programs.  America has been down this road before.  Republicans are ready to work with President Obama to enact legislation that helps our economy create jobs and helps Americans get back to work.”

“The House Democrats' ‘stimulus’ plan. . .undermines welfare reform's key ‘work requirement.’  Under current law, States must ensure at least half of adults on welfare are in work, education, training, job search, or other productive activities.  The Democrats' bill directly undermines this work requirement, which will further increase welfare rolls. . .The mechanics of this change in the Democrat bill are complicated, involving ‘caseload reduction credits,’ but the outcome is clear – to reduce or eliminate the current work requirement for welfare recipients.”

“Buried deep inside the massive spending orgy that Democrats jammed through the House. . .lie five words that could drastically undo two decades of welfare reforms.  The very heart of the widely applauded Welfare Reform Act of 1996 is a cap on the amount of federal cash that can be sent to states each year for welfare payments.  But. . .the new ‘stimulus’ bill abolishes the limits on the amount of federal money for the so-called Emergency Fund, which ships welfare cash to states. . .’  This re-establishes the welfare state and creates dependency all over the place,’ said one startled budget analyst after reading the line. . .[The ‘stimulus’ bill] is a return to big-government welfare that we will choke on.”

“Nothing wrong with helping states avoid anti-stimulating cuts in a recession.  Nothing wrong with targeting money to the poorest, who are most likely to spend it quickly.  But why use the aid specifically to encourage expansion of welfare?  This isn't ‘welfare’ as only conservative Republicans would define it – i.e. any means-tested assistance.  This is welfare as everyone would define it – cash assistance to able-bodied single mothers (or fathers) who may or may not be working, as in the old, despised AFDC program.”