The secret to success in America is work. Work means opportunity and growth and gives fulfillment. To reform welfare, we have to provide people an opportunity for self-respect and work. We must turn welfare checks into paychecks.
Tragically, some of our efforts as a country to help those less fortunate in America have made things worse for them. Thirty years ago this country embarked on a historic "War on Poverty," but, hundreds of billions of dollars later, we find poverty expanding.The most recent figures show that 14.5 percent of our population - 37 million people - live in poverty. By cutting benefits when recipients get jobs, we have actually discouraged able-bodied people from becoming productive and creative citizens.
The Family Support Act of 1988 was a step toward helping welfare recipients reach their potential by requiring states to establish programs to ensure that welfare recipients obtain the education, training and employment they need to avoid long-term welfare dependency.
Last month, Senate Republicans built on that measure by joining me to introduce a proposal that encourages work, responsibility, opportunity and self-esteem. The outline proposal, co-sponsored by 22 senators, requires work for able-bodied adults on welfare, requires parents to support their children, increases flexibility for states to design welfare programs and limits welfare to those it was designed to help.
This proposal is based on the belief that we can break the cycle of poverty only by helping welfare recipients reach their potential and become self-supporting citizens.
Our proposal requires job searches by adults applying for Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). It also establishes a voucher program giving welfare recipients the opportunity to offer vouchers to an employer in exchange for a job that will pay them twice the amount of their combined AFDC and food stamp benefits.
This is a win-win proposal. Welfare recipients could trade welfare checks for paychecks; employers would get a full-time employee at half price.
Single parents would be required to work or prepare for work through education, job training, skill development or on-the-job training. In cases where recipients refuse to work, states would be allowed to drop able-bodied adults from AFDC cash benefit rolls after five years.
Another important part of welfare reform is strengthening paternity establishment and child-support enforcement. Our proposal would change the law so a mother does not get her portion of cash AFDC benefits until she has fully cooperated in legally establishing her children's paternity.
To keep fathers accountable, our proposal encourages states to establish uniform forms and systems for wage-withholding of child support and to honor other states' child-support orders. Non-custodial parents whose children are on welfare would pay court-ordered child support or participate in welfare work programs.
The proposal also encourages recipients addicted to drugs or alcohol to improve their lives by requiring them to participate in rehabilitation programs. They would be required to undergo random drug tests to remain eligible.
There will always be those we need to help and provide with emergency aid. But the focus in years ahead should be to help people become independent and change welfare into a program of opportunity.