Welfare

2972 Words6 Pages

Welfare

Welfare. Whether you collect it, or you pay for it (and for EVERY working American does one of the two), most citizens of our country are familiar with it. Yet as every second of the day passes, more and more of my money and yours is being allotted to this growing epidemic called welfare. The Personal
Responsibility Act, signed by the President, was a monumental change in welfare as we know, or used to know it. The welfare system is still in need or more strict and stringent policy reform, yet the Personal Responsibility Act was a prodigious step in the right direction.
In the past few years, the federal governments and state governments have tried to change and improve the welfare system. The Clinton Administration campaigned to "end welfare as we know it." The Administration's proposal limits
AFDC benefits to two years, during which employment services would be provided to recipients. Nearly 20 welfare reform bills have been introduced in the 103rd
Congress. Besides the above mentioned bill, three major proposals were offered by Republican members: The GOP Leadership Welfare bill, The Real Welfare Reform
Act, and The Welfare and Teenage Pregnancy Reduction Act. Now the Republicans have pulled together a strong and controversial bill on welfare reform. The
Personal Responsibility Act is an attempt to overhaul the welfare system by putting limits on eligibility and reducing dependency on government. This bill addresses the increasing problem of illegitimacy, requires welfare recipients to work, and caps welfare spending. Current programs will be consolidated, time limits will be placed on benefits and savings are to go to deficit reduction.
The bill's main thrust is to give states greater control over the benefits programs, work programs, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) payments and requirements.
Under the bill, the structure for AFDC payments will drastically change.
Mothers under the age of 18 may no longer receive AFDC payments for children born out of wedlock and mothers who are ages 18, 19, and 20 can be prohibited by the states from receiving AFDC payments and housing benefits. Mothers must also establish paternity to as a condition for receiving AFDC payments, except in cases of rape and incest and if the state determines t...

... middle of paper ...

...eserved for the states and respectfully to the people. The powers specifically enumerated to Congress are found in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution. The only facet of this Article that the most loose construction liberal mind MIGHT be able to construe as a reason for increasing welfare is that "The Congress shall have Power to....provide for the common
Defense and general Welfare of the United States." Providing for the general welfare of America means ensure that it's citizen's lives are protected, not spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the welfare system. Welfare is not a responsibility of the federal government. It is one of the states, or respectively, the people.. The American voters sent a clear message on that
November 8th of 1994. They want to see a positive change in government. Many of these same voters are pointing a finger at welfare as a perfect example of big government at work wasting taxpayer money. Congress was able to push through to legislation that greatly enhances the fight against the welfare trap.
Yet it is not the end of the war. There are still several more battles to go until we may sign a peace treaty.

More about Welfare

Open Document