Statement on Welfare Reform

In the past 2 1/2 years, as part of my continuing effort to make Government better reflect the values of the American people, my administration has granted more State welfare reform experiments than in the past 12 years combined. Today, 33 States are experimenting in requiring welfare recipients to work for their benefits, requiring teen moms to live at home and stay in school, requiring delinquent parents to pay child support, and requiring recipients to be held to a time limit.

I am offering States a new, simpler way to achieve welfare reform. My fast-track demonstration initiative will let States build on strategies we already know are moving people from welfare to work. We must replace our broken welfare system with one that reflects the fundamental American values of work, responsibility, and family. When Congress returns, they should immediately put welfare reform at the top of their agenda and send me a tough, bipartisan bill that builds upon our progress. In the meantime, I will continue to do everything in my power to move welfare reform forward in the States and in Washington.