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Deadbeat Dads--Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin 9/30/92 [OA 7581] [3]
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Deadbeat Dads--Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin 9/30/92 [OA 7581] [3]
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Backup Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13836
Folder ID Number:
13836-009
Folder Title:
Deadbeat Dads--Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin 9/30/92 [OA 7581] [3]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
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26
23
1
5
Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
(George Bush Library)
Doc. No. / Type
Subject/Title
Date
Restriction
Classification
01. Background
Re: Bill Clinton and child welfare issues. (3 pp.)
n.d.
P
Report
02a. Fax
Deborah Steelman to Dennis Ross, Re: Bill Clinton and child
09/18/92
PRM
welfare issues.
[Open Upon Deed of Gift - March 16, 2015] (4 pp.)
02b. Fax
"Children in Bill Clinton's Arkansas."
09/18/92
PRM
[Open Upon Deed of Gift - March 16, 2015] (1 pp.)
03. Background
Re: POTUS trip to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; peronal telephone
09/24/92
(b)(6)
Report
numbers redacted. (1 pp.)
Page 1 of 1
Collection:
Record Group:
Bush Presidential Records
Office:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File, Backup
Subseries:
WHORM Cat.:
File Location:
Deadbeat Dads - Fondulac, WI 9/30/92 [3]
Pinksheet Number:
RML1798
OA/ID Number:
07581
Date Closed:
12/9/2004
FOIA/Sys Case #:
S
Re-review Case #:
2004-2265-S
P-2/P-5 Review Case #:
Curt, Here are the Wisconsin crime stats you wanted**:
VIOLENT CRIME IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
Murder: 655
Forcible Rape: 3,469
Robbery: 16,001
Aggravated Assault: 19,022
NOTE: Total violent crime in Wisconsin has increased by nearly 3%
from the first six months of 1991 to the first six
months of 1992.
VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY OF FOND DU LAC
Murder: one
Forcible Rape: 32
Robbery: 24
Aggravated Assault: 293
NOTE: Total violent crime in Fond du Lac has doubled from the
first half of 1991 to the first half of 1992. Most of
the increase has resulted from an increase in
aggravated assault.
** All numbers are calculated from July 1, 1989 - June 30, 1992.
Don Jones, BEQ
Question of the
Day in
yesterday's newspaper
(photo wanswers)
9/10 said they are better
off today than last year
at this time,
Fonddulac Reporter
Dorley@home 608257-0884
A Green Bay Packers won against
Steelers PiH. on Sunday
very big deal
al & Bill
dynamic duo
coming to Madison tomorrow!
state capitol
also going Milwaukee
(Smith/Aarhus)
Draft Two
September 28, 1992
REFORM
CHIC PROJECT KIDS
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
WELFARE REFORM
FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30, 1992
Thank you for that introduction. It's great to be here in
Fond du Lac. Earlier today I asked Barbara if she had any ideas
about how I could be a big hit in Wisconsin. She said: "Maybe
you could borrow Robin Yount's bat. " //
Actually, I have something in common with your baseball
team. We're both in a tough race. If Phil Garner has any
suggestions for me, I'm all ears. My best to the Team That's
Made Milwaukee Famous. //
Over the last 3 and 1/2 years, America has helped win the
peace abroad. A wall falls in Berlin. From Panama to Kuwait,
those enslaved are now free. The Cold War is over -- and freedom
won. //
Today, I want to talk about winning the peace at home -- for
our families, in our homes, and in our communities.
It involves two tasks crucial to my Agenda for American
Renewal. The first is giving money to the taxpayer -- not
government. The second is upholding individual responsibility
through our system of law.
//
The first task -- like the second -- is as much
philosophical as political. My opponent measures government
TO: STEVE PROVOST
FROM: CURT SMITH
SUBJ: WISCONSIN
Carol and I have talked with several people in Wisconsin. Here
are a couple local graphs that should work re. the Fond du Lac
speech.
"I'm glad to be in a State whose football team, the Packers,
smashed its opponent [the previously unbeaten Steelers] last
Sunday. Just goes to show how sweet victory can be when you're
the underdog storming from behind. " //
"I'm especially pleased to be here the day before both
Democratic candidates come to Wisconsin. Believe me: This is
not the last time our ticket will lead the election parade. " //
"I see banners here recalling how Fond du Lac County is the
birthplace of the Republican Party. / How appropriate. / Look
at this crowd. Our campaign has been born again. II //
"Yesterday, the Fond du Lac Reporter asked people, 'Are you
better off than you were a year ago?' Nine out of ten said yes.
I'm glad to be back in one of America's greatest -- and obviously
smartest -- states. " //
Child abuse reports
last 10 yrs.
1979-6895 reports
1989-15,879 "
arkans as Gazette
Scully SkyPager
n 9196-8958
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Republican
National
Committee
FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION
DATE:
TO: Carol
FAX NUMBER:
456-6218
FROM: Paula
NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER SHEET: 5
IF ALL PAGES ARE NOT RECEIVED, PLEASE CALL (202) 863-8666
Dwight D. Eisenhower Republican Center 310 First Street Southeast # Washington, D.C. 20003 a (202) 863-8500
,
FAX: (202) 863-8820
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2024566218:# 2
DOCUMENT
813 OF
2170
PAGE =
1 OF
9
ACCESS # AG413255
HEADLINE Welfare abuse of children at stake //Group says DHS slow in investigating
Byline:
Scott Morris
DATE
06/26/91
SOURCE
THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE
(AG)
Section: NEWS
Page:
1A
(Copyright 1991)
RE
AR
The weapons are extension cords and irons and baseball bats, and
the victims are the most vulnerable Arkansans an escalating number
of children for whom the sanctuary of home has become the scene of
abuse.
The number of child abuse reports in Arkansas is up 130 percent
in the last 10 years, from 6,895 in 1979 to 15,879 in 1989. That
increase has left the state struggling to keep up with its duty to
protect the children, agency officials and advocates say.
One advocacy group, the San Francisco-based National Center for
Youth Law, contends that Arkansas which has four fewer abuse
investigators today than it did in 1980 hasn't met the pace. The
center is preparing a lawsuit to force the state Department of Human
Services to improve its efforts to defend battered youngsters.
"If parents treated these children the way in which the
department treats them, they would be charged with abuse and
neglect,' said William Grimm, an attorney for the center.
After investigating Arkansas's child-protection system for more
than a year, the center contends that DHS is too slow in
investigating abuse allegations, that it doesn't effectively monitor
children in foster care and bounces youngsters from one foster home
to another, causing more damage then it prevents.
Gov. Bill Clinton called Grimm's charge "a cheap political
shot. "
"The truth is, if parents treated kids right, we Wouldn't need
this {child welfare} division at all," Clinton said last week.
Dr. Terry Yamauchi, DHS director and a pediatrician,
acknowledged that the child-protection system is flawed, but
maintained that it is better than Grimm alleges.
"I think we could find hundreds of children that we've done
better for by our services," Yamauchi said.
But Yamauchi and his administrators conceded the system is
budgets. overburdened and expressed frustration with chronically tight
"No one likes to admit that we have a problem with abused
children, he said. "I don't want to say it's been swept under the
table or anything like that, but it has not had high priority. It
has never been funded to the extent we thought it should be.
Despite the soaring number of abuse reports cases, the amount of
money spent on dealing with such cases has only barely risen in at
least the five years. Spending on foster care has actually declined.
which is responsible for child-abuse investigations and foster
Earlier this year, the Division of Children and Family Services,
placement, lost its bid to win a large increase in state money.
Meanwhile, two gruesome cases focused public attention on the
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2024566218:# 3
Division of Children and Family Services last year.
Steven Earl Walters, 4, died in February 1990 of head injuries
that prosecutors said resulted from a blow to the head. The boy's
father and stepmother eventually were convicted and sentenced to
prison. Two DHS workers had investigated allegations Steven was
abused but had taken no action. They were fired; a third employee
was suspended.
DHS also came under fire for the way it handled the case of
Daniel Toric, who was left with neighbors when his mother moved out
of state. Toric, then 6, was systematically beaten and had to have
his leg amputated below the knee after it was scalded last year. The
woman with whom Toric was living and her son were convicted of first-
degree battery in March. Daniel's mother said a DHS worker approved
leaving the boy with the woman.
In the wake of those highly publicized cases, the Division of
Children and Family Services which is responsible for investigating
child abuse reports, arranging foster care and providing support to
families pleaded with lawmakers for more money and 240 more
employees.
"It takes people to help people," said Larry Meyer, the
division's assistant director for administrative services. "We can't
put {clients} in a room with a computer and a laser gun."
But Clinton expressed skepticism that simply increasing the
division's staff would help. The General Assembly did give DHS an
additional $2 million each of the next two budget years, but the
money is being held in reserve. It will be spent only after a panel
of national experts recently appointed by Clinton complete a review
of the child welfare system and make recommendations for improving
it.
Central Arkansas Legal Services and the National Center for
Youth Law, whose investigation was requested by Arkansas lawyers
familiar with the child-welfare system, argued at the time that DHS
needed at least a $12 million budget increase to meet its
responsibilities. When their proposals were rejected, they pledged
to sue.
Grimm said that the center, which previously sued the Maryland
Department of Human Resources and the Los Angeles County foster care
system, couldn't compare Arkansas's child welfare system with others
in the nation.
But, he said, "To me, it's somewhat astounding and disturbing
that a system that is as small as Arkansas's is as bad for children
and parents as it is."
Grimm's complaints and the agency's responses:
DHS doesn't investigate child abuse reports "promptly or
thoroughly." He told of a case in which a mother of two young
children fought with her boyfriend, began to drink and set fire to
her residence while the four-year old was at home. The boy ran to
his grandmother, who reported the case to DHS. Despite that
complaint and others by the mother's aunt, who reported that the
children were bruised, hungry and often inappropriately clothed DHS
hasn't investigated, Grimm said.
He wouldn't name the family, and Pat Page, the division's
assistant director of field operations, said that made it impossible
to respond about the specific case. But she said some people who
report child abuse think nothing is done because DHS doesn't always
call them back.
Overburdened DHS child abuse investigators receive too little
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20245662181# 4
training and support, resulting in high turnover. Untrained workers
are forced to make "life and death" decisions "on the spur of the
moment, " Grimm said.
The division employs 231 "family service workers" today, down
from 235 in 1980, about half the number Page said it needs. Children
and Family Services faces a 44 percent turnover rate, compared to
about 6 percent for DHS as a whole.
The family service workers, who bear the brunt of child abuse
investigations and foster care placements, will earn between $17,524
and $29,883 annually beginning July 1 for a job that requires them to
be on call virtually around the clock.
Most workers handle 25 to 30 cases, Page said, even though the
agency's goal is 12 investigations per employee. In other states,
the average work load per investigator varies from 10 cases to 30
cases, according to the American Public Welfare Association in
Washington.
A. lack of so-called "therapeutic foster homes, in which adults
are trained to handle children with special physical or emotional
problems, has forced the state to consign many children to
residential psychiatric treatment facilities that provide more
intensive services than they need, Grimm said.
Page agreed that the state needs more of these highly trained
foster parents and said DHS is trying to recruit more into the
program.
The traditional foster-care system, which handles "ordinary"
children who have been removed from their homes for one reason or
another, needs improvement, according to Grimm. Parents get little
training, the state doesn't meet its legal obligation to monitor
foster children and siblings are often separated and bounced from
home to home, he said.
The center is investigating reports that one 15-year-old has
been moved more than 40 times in four years. In another case, he
said, a 16-year-old victim of sexual abuse has been moved 11 times in
the 13 months she's been in foster care.
Page agreed the division needs to do a better job of recruiting
and training foster parents. She said the department has recognized
it must improve foster-care monitoring, but she rejected assertions
that siblings are often separated and moved haphazardly through the
system. She said that 106 of he 157 sets of two siblings in foster
care in March were together, although she conceded that larger groups
of siblings are harder to keep intact.
Frequent moves while sometimes required because a child proves
too difficult for foster families are discouraged, she said. Only
224 of the children in foster care in April had moved in the
preceding three months, Page said.
Confronted with a mounting work load and a nearly flat budget,
Page and Meyer said it might be time to consider whether the agency
should cut back.
"It may be that we've defined our goal too broadly," Page said.
However, Yamauchi, who shares Clinton's skepticism that adding
staff services. will solve the agency's problems, balked at the idea of cutting
"I'd like to sue us be able to provide all of the services
because I still think that they are needed, Yamauchi said. "It's
going to be hard for anyone to tell us which ones to cut."
Clinton, meanwhile, expressed frustration that the National
Center for Youth Law, wouldn't respond to his request to identify an
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effective state child-welfare system that could be copied in
Arkansas.
"I said, 'OK, then let me ask you something else. If we spend
all of this money you want us to spend, every last penny, cite me a
state that has done that where the incidence of child abuse and
neglect has gone down, , " Clinton said.
The reply?
"Dead silence,' 00 he said.
End of Story Reached
2
success by how much of your money he can take. I measure it by
how much of your money you get to keep. //
Recently, I laid out a specific, comprehensive agenda for
America, to create the world's first $10 trillion economy. It
rests upon this firm belief: We must spend less / regulate less
/ and tax less. //
I believe higher taxes would be the Mount St. Helen's of the
U.S. economy. Well, guess what? My opponent has a plan to
unleash that volcano. //
Let's begin with his record. As Governor, Bill Clinton
raised the gas tax, and even taxed mobile homes and cable TV. He
raised and extended the sales tax, including a tax on baby
speeches
TN
formula, vegetables, and other groceries. / When you're deciding
which candidate to support -- I think that's food for thought. //
This year, he's off again -- proposing at least $150 billion
in new federal taxes -- plus at least $220 billion in new
spending. / He says, "Don't worry -- I'll get it from the rich
-
NO!
- people who make over $200,000 -- the top 2 percent
"
Well,
we've heard this song before. Bill Clinton's definition of rich
(notaguits)
is anyone who works for a living. The truth is his plan is a
Billy-club blow against working families everywhere. //
Maybe my opponent should remember what John Adams said.
He said -- and I quote: "Facts can be stubborn things."
The fact is that to get the money he needs for his plan --
the $150 billion he's promised in new taxes -- Bill Clinton would
have to get his money from individuals with taxable income over
3
$36,600. His message to working Americans would be a paraphrase
of a famous TV commercial: For all you do, this tax increase is
for you. //
And that's the C just the start of his campaign to hurt the
middle class. Governor Clinton hasn't said how he he'll get the
hundreds of billions of dollars more to pay for all his campaign
promises. / Well, remember the old saying. "When you hunt
ducks, you go where the ducks are." He's hunting for ways to pay
for all his promises -- and he's going to go after the middle
class for the same reason Slick Willie Sutton robbed banks:
Because that's where the money is. //
Don't take my word for it. Listen to the newspaper from
Pine Bluff, Arkansas, practically in his back yard. Here's what
it says: "If Congress followed the example Bill Clinton has set
TN
as Governor of Arkansas, it would pass a tax program that would
speeches
hit the middle-class hardest." End-quote.
That Pine Bluff paper isn't bluffing. Let me cite an
example. Let's say you are a third-grade teacher -- making about
$22,000 a year in taxable income. Bill Clinton could be telling
Maryorile,
you to give another $430 a year to the tax man. I say you ought
Splech
to be able to use it to pay for your kid's education, or pay the
mortgage on the house -- not send it back to the IRS. //
My opponent is addicted to taxes. I have a hunch on
Election Day you're going to show him a cure. I think you'll
support the man who says government must be responsible -- just
as individuals must be responsible. / In that spirit, let me
4
talk about an area close to my heart. Our need for a child
support system that demands responsibility from parents -- that
treats our kids as people to be loved, not pawns to be discarded.
No one knows this better than the people in this crowd.
with
Earlier I met several families helped by Wisconsin's Children
First program -- a project which lets a judge require parents to
join the workfare program or be forced to pay child support.
I want to congratulate those of you here who have gone
through this program -- and are making payments on time. You're
getting to know your children better. You should be feeling
better about yourselves. You're making your family proud -- your
community proud -- and you're doing right by your kids.
Yet not everyone is as responsible.
Think about the single mother here in Wisconsin struggling
while
to keep the kids fed and clothed on her modest salary. Meantime,
her children's father is at the airport in Detroit airport:
Can't wait to begin his European vacation. He could be a year or
a decade behind in child support. Doesn't matter. It's hard --
maybe impossible -- to touch him because he's over state lines.
That's wrong -- and I think it's time the long arm of the
law can easily reach over that state line
tap that deadbeat
dad on the shoulder
...
and say loud and clear: Time to pay up,
buddy. Cough up the cash, or we'll send you to the slammer.
When the system lets parents short-change their kids -- it's
time to change the system. In 1990 fathers were absent from 10
58%
Hanns
million families. Today, only half of absent parents are ordered
5
to pay child support -- and of those required to pay, barely half
Hanns
4
do on time in full. / Only one in absent parents cover kids'
health care expenses -- often skipping payments by skipping town.
And each year $5 billion in court-ordered child support fails to
reach their families. / We need to change these "stubborn facts"
-- and we need to change them all. /
Since I took office, we've made a good beginning. We have
Hanns
identified 50 percent more of the fathers of the kids of single
mothers -- and increased by 40 percent the cases of child support
collections, and annual state collections by $2.3 billion.
We have also acted to make it easier for States with
creative reforms to get the Federal waivers they need. Wisconsin
was the first State to take me up on my offer and ask for such a
waiver -- and we quickly granted it. I remembered how
Hanns
Wisconsin's previous reform efforts -- begun by the Reagan-Bush Reagan
Administration -- had produced a new welfare result: Success.
In 1990, Wisconsin was the only State which had its welfare
Gail w.
3
caseload drop. Contrast that with another State to the south of
here. Its Governor fiddled -- actually, played the saxaphone --
while Arkansas' welfare program burned. //
Maybe you've seen my opponent's TV ad. If so, you know why
they call him slick. In it he talks about cutting welfare rolls
in Arkansas -- about moving 17,000 people -- and I quote -- "from
welfare rolls to payrolls. " / Here's the catch. The ad refers
Tell
only to people leaving welfare rolls -- not joining them. By
6
X
Saully
that yardstick, I've moved over a million people from welfare to
work in the last three years.
X
Asst,Marting
Talk about "stubborn facts." Since Bill Clinton was elected
HHS Gauy
X
Governor in 1983, Arkansas welfare rolls have increased by 19
Greenpg
X
percent -- 13 percent faster than the national average; and food
X
BQ
stamp rolls are up 26 percent in the last three years alone. My
Tell
point isn't that Arkansas is one of the poorest states in the
country -- it's that under Bill Clinton Arkansas has fallen
Asst HHE Sec
further behind. Under my opponent, in any given month the X number
X
X
Matin
XXX
of people on welfare has soared from 60,000 to 75,000.
Gary
Compare that welfare tale of woe to Wisconsin's tale of
progress. Governor Thompson has shown what real reform can mean.
Just look at the first six months of Children First -- where
child support collection for those in the program soared 28
percent in Fond du Lac County and 145 percent in Racine County.
I look forward to the program starting in seven other counties.
For their part, I challenge other States to follow Wisconsin's
lead.
Now for our part. Today I am proud to announce a Federal
comprehensive child support enforcement strategy to complement
state efforts. Its goal: To see that absent parents pay child
support -- no matter where they live.
Our initiative is called Project KIDS. It will help change
the child support system -- and help that system change America.
Our plan requires withholding salaries from absent parents.
It will help track down absent parents -- especially when they
7
change jobs -- and hit delinquent parents by alerting the IRS to
the fact that they owe support.
We will make more absent parents pay kids' health care --
and make non-paying parents ineligible for many Federal benefits.
We will require all States to recognize and enforce other States'
child support orders. In addition, we will require legal
organizations who receive funding from the Legal Services
Corporation to devote 10 percent of their services to assist
Saully
eligible mothers who need legal help to collect child support
payments. /
If you want more, try this.
No payment -- no passport. Forget that skiing in
Switzerland -- or yachting in Belize.
No payment -- no new professional licenses. If you're not
paying, you won't even keep your existing license.
No payment -- no loans. Dead-beat parents won't qualify for
FHA home loans, guaranteed student loans, or any other Federal
loan guarantee. And to those who talk of glass houses and
throwing stones -- think again: Our initiative makes the Federal
government a model employer. We will require up-to-date employer
records and immediate payroll withholding.
Within the weeks,
And this week, I expect to sign a bill sponsored by my
friend Congressman Henry Hyde that will make it a crime for a
parent to intentionally avoid paying child support by crossing
state lines.
8
Dead-beat parents should know that they can run, but they
can't hide. If they don't meet their responsibility to provide
spousal and child support -- we'll make sure they do. They should look
to these parents here
We're setting ambitious goals -- but we must reach them, and w/us
we will. / Only tough policies can confront child neglect / Show that
today who
child abandonment / nonpayment of spousal support -- problems Wisconsin
cares about
that hurt our families and the Family called America.
THE familis
I mean to protect those who need it most. As you in
Wisconsin are -- as the rest of America must. Thank you for your
example to the Nation. Please join me with Project KIDS. And
may God bless the United States of America.
# # # #
Sep 29'92
15:58 No.005 P.01
10.
URICIC
FR ALIXE
Comments on Wisconsin "Welfare Reform" speech:
--
Don't bill It as welfare reform. Bill it as "Ensuring Every Child's Future" or some
equivalent. The speech has very little to do with welfare; lots of middle class families suffer
wife and child abuse and nonpayment of child support.
-
The opening two pages sound Insincere. Women aren't as taken as men with macho
phrases like "pay up buddy". Women want to be sympathized with. Talk more about the
actual crime of abuse and nonpayment, what it feels like to a mother scraping by with her
children while Dad is with a new girl or buying the fancy car. Use the statistics. Abuse
and nonpayment of child support are serious crimes. Treat them as more than a test of
macho oratory.
--
Do not use the terms traditional and broken when referring to types of families.
Many women are proud of the job they do as single mothers and are insulted when they are
referred to as "broken." And in many cases especially violent fathers - they are better
off; the family may be "fixed" by his absence. Barbara Bush phrased it just right in her
convention address: we want to help all families. Families under stress, women who have
been beaten, children who have been abused or neglected need to be embraced by all of
us, wrapped up in the family of our communities. Focus on the Dad - the abusive or
abandoning Dad as broken. He's the guy who left the brightest joy in the world behind - --
his child.
pm
Where is the foster care stuff? The Clinton record on foster care would be the best
lease in the whole speech. Without 11, the news is hard to find (CSB has been a fairly
routine component of the Administration's child related announcements. Even though this
announcement is tougher, It isn't earth shattering.) Clinton's foster care situation exposes
him RS A fraud:
Children have died in fuster homes in Arkansas (please check this - Arkansas
Gazette did big series).
Children Arkansas. have been shunted from home to home over 40 times in four years in
The ACLU sued Arkansas for negligence in the administration of its foster
care system.
Arkansas program had to be taken over by a federal commission (please check
this also.)
-
Women will not believe that any Governor capable of tolerating this situation cares
about kids. For many voters, tired of what they see as lies from both campaigns, this could
be the best example of Clinton's past finally catching up to him.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 28, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR BOB ZOELLICK
SP Lyou
san
FROM:
STEVE PROVOST
RE:
Tomorrow's Speeches
Upon reflection, my problem with the insults about Governor
Clinton's draft record is that it will drag the media away from
his middle-class tax increase, which matters more to the voters.
Plus, it is rather heavy-handed.
MASTER
Presidential Remarks
Bristol, TN
Sept. 28, 1992
8:00 p.m.
(Thank you's and acknowledgements)
It's great to be in Big Orange Country.
May I say a special thank you to your entertainment this
morning -- the Volunteer High School Marching Band.
This campaign, like every campaign, is about a simple
question: what kind of America do we want -- for the young people
here today?//
I'll tell you what kind of America I want. I want an
America that is a military superpower and the greatest economic
superpower in the world -- revered for our jobs and our workers.
I have laid out my Agenda for American Renewal -- a
specific, comprehensive, integrated agenda for America, the to
create the world's first $10 trillion economy.
I believe I am uniquely qualified to lead America into this
new world economy. My opponent's international experience
Wash Hedges Times
consists of leading demonstrations in XX a foreign X country against
Mike
his own government. I want to use my experience to lead America
-- to open new foreign markets because that is the way we create
new jobs. //
If our nation is going to compete, we must make changes here
at home.
Small business will create 2/3rds of the new jobs in the new
economy. Governor Clinton promises small business higher taxes
XXXX
2
and more red tape -- I promise small business relief -- from
taxation, regulation and litigation. //
I say pass term limits -- and give Congress back to the
people.
These are just some of my ideas -- some of what I'm fighting
for.
I'm proud of my record, and I'll stand by it in November.
But if Candidate Clinton wants to talk about the past, I say okay
-- let's look at what's been going on in Arkansas. The people of
Arkansas are decent and hard-working. But the more you know
about the Governor the more you know that he's wrong for America.
We want to take back our streets from the crackheads and
the criminals. //
Candidate Clinton talks tough, but listen to this. In
Arkansas, the average criminal serves just one-fifth of his
McNualy
Paul
sentence -- then he's let back out on the streets.
Paul
Compare that to our federal prisons today. The average
McNulty
inmate serves 85 percent of his sentence. When it comes to
crime, I'm not much for leniency and compassion. If you steal a
car or beat an elderly woman -- you ought to go to jail. I say
you shouldn't be let out, until you're eligible for a birthday
salute from Willard Scott.
But don't ask me whose tough on crime. Ask the police in
Little Rock, Arkansas. The cops who know Bill Clinton best, have
endorsed me -- as the best candidate for President of the United
States. //
Record
3
Ark ngfield
9/22/92
It's the same thing on every issue. Governor Clinton says
he's for civil rights, but Arkansas doesn't have a basic civil
Springfuld
rights law. He says he's for a clean environment, but the
Institute for Southern Studies ranked Arkansas 50th -- dead last
-- in environmental policies. Bill Clinton says he's for high
tech -- but Arkansas has been falling behind in high school.
Remarks antield
Seventy-five percent of their graduates spend their first year of
9/8/92
college in remedial education.
As Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton raised and extended
Hawests
the sales tax, including a tax on baby formula, vegetables and
other groceries. He raised the gas tax, and even taxed mobile
homes and cable T.V.
Now, Governor Clinton says he's seen the light. In this
campaign, he's proposing at least $150 billion in new taxes --
plus at least $220 billion in new spending. But don't worry, he
says -- I'll get it all from the rich -- people who make it over
$200,000 -- the top 2 percent.
But here's the truth. To get the money he needs for his
people?
plan, the $150 billion he's promised in new taxes, Governor
Delete
Train Rainect
Clinton would have to get his money from every individual with
revery
taxable income over $36,600. That's just the start of his tax
campaign against the middle-class. Governor Clinton hasn't said
David are
how he'll pay for any of his new programs.
He'd need hundreds
of billions dollars more to pay for all his promises. [So he'll
have tax collectors working overtime, to go after every working
man and woman in America.]
Governor Clinton has not come up with
enough revenues in his tax plan to
pay for all his new programs,
4
NEXIS
There's an old saying. "When you hunt ducks, you go where
the ducks are." (By the way, Governor Clinton raised duck
David
Tell
hunting fees in Arkansas.) Bill Clinton is hunting for ways to
pay for all his promises -- and he's going to go to the middle
class -- because that's where the money is.//
Don't take my word for it, listen to the newspaper from his
own back yard, The Pine Bluff Commercial. Here's what has they say:
riches
Train
"If Congress followed the example that tax Bill Clinton would set as
Governor of Arkansas, it would pass a program that hit the
middle-class the hardest."
Now, I don't think that Pine Bluff paper is bluffing. Let
me give you one example. Let's say you are a third grade teacher
Marysuille
Train
-- with about $22,000 a year in taxable income. Governor Clinton
could have you fork over another $430 bucks a year to the tax
man. And I say you ought to be able to use that money to pay for
your kid's education, or pay the mortgage on the house, not send
it back to the IRS.//
Now, when I add up all Governor Clinton's promises and point
out the truth -- he says, "hey, forget my record. Forget the
facts. I'm a different kind of Democrat."
But what's different about him? George McGovern -- Bill
Nanbbs
Clinton ran Texas for him in 172. He learned his liberalism
there. Jimmy Carter -- Bill Clinton's wearing the same moderate
costume. At least Carter believed it. Michael Dukakis -- Bill
Clinton nominated him, and praised the Massachusetts Miracle --
right before the Massachusetts economy collapsed./
york Times 199 Bill
5
Clinton is trying to sell you a line about some so-
New Sept yul
called "Third Way" to help the economy. You and I know there's a
right way and a wrong way. We don't need a President who invents
a third way to avoid choosing.
(Bill Clinton is good at this smooth talk. That's how he
convinced a good hearted Colonel in the Arkansas ROTC to get some
less sophisticated boy to take his place in the draft line. (At
least I agree with my opponent on one military topic -- he had no
business being an officer in the United States Army.)
Then there was Bill Clinton's principled stand on both sides
Aug
of the Gulf War -- when he said -- "I guess I would have voted
17,1992
with the majority if it was a close vote, but I agree with the
Acceptance
17,
arguments the minority made."
speech
Trib
One day Bill Clinton tells the people of Arkansas he'll
Star April7A Aprilla 10, 1992
never run for President, the next (year) he announces his
Enid, 19/17/92 ok
campaign. One day he says he's for the North American Free Trade
when I have a definitive Opinion I'll say So,
Page
Agreement, then says that "I haven't made up my mind yet." One day
Bill Clinton says the middle-class deserves a tax break, the next
day he's plotting new ways to hit the middle-class to pay for all
his programs.
If Bill Clinton ever became President -- and he won't --
we'd have to replace the American Eagle -- with a chameleon.
Bill Clinton wants you to believe America will be better if
you turn full control of your paycheck over to the crew that
already runs the Congress -- he wants the tax and spend
6
government planners to have total control over the Executive
Policy Review 1987
Branch, too.
They tried this when President 12,5% Ford faced difficulties, and
you ended up with inflation of %) -- and rising interest rates
Pagele
seat. 41
and a misery index over 21 percent.
It took years to wring inflation and high interest rates out
of the American economy. Our workers and businesses paid the
price.
At this time in our history, I don't think we can take the
risk.
You see, I've been in the Oval Office, I've faced the tough
decisions.
I've made some mistakes and I've admitted them.
But I believe I've been a good leader -- willing to make the
tough calls -- I'm a leader whose ideas are right for America.
I stand before you today, asking for your vote so I can get
on to fix what's broke in this country.
America changed the world, and I know it's time to change
things at home, too: health care reform, job training, term
limits, tax relief for small businesses -- and all the rest of my
Agenda to create jobs and make America an economic superpower in
the '90s.
If you want someone who has a statistic for every problem -
- cast your vote for the other guy.
But if you are looking for a leader of experience, a leader
of ideas, a leader who shares your values, a leader who
7
understands that America's real strength is not in government,
but in places like Bristol -- than I know I can count on your
support -- on November 3rd.
Thank you very much. God Bless the United States of
America.
TEL:
Sep
To: Carol AARhus
FRom: maney for
DAVid Tell
Date: 9-29-92
Re: Welfare
TEL:
Sep 29'92
V5189 r P 3exec Ad Watch-Clinton
dumn/ails
09-09 12:18p
Details of Welfare Reform Ad
WASHINGTON (AP) - Here are details of Democratic presidential
candidate Bill Clinton's campaign ad calling for changes in the
nation's welfare system.
Title: "Second Chance-D."
Time: 30 seconds.
Creator: Clinton ad team headed by Frank Greer.
Text (Clinton) : "I have a plan to end welfare as we know it -
to break the cycle of welfare dependency. We'll provide education,
job training and child care, but then those who are able must go to
work, either in the private sector or in public service. I know it
can work. In my state, we've moved 17,000 people from welfare rolls
to payrolls. It's time to make welfare what it should be - a second
chance, not a way of life."
Key images: Clinton facing camera. Promises of improvement under
Ilinton's plan periodically appear in writing on the screen: "End
welfare as we know it," "Provide education, training and child
care" and "Those who are able must go to work."
Goals: Seeks to reinforce Clinton's image as a moderate and
preampt Republican efforts to portray him as part of the Democratic
Party's traditional liberal base. Attempts to cast Clinton as an
innovative and experienced governor who has successfully coped with
the welfare issue.
Analysis: The claim that 17,000 people have moved "from welfare
colls to payrolls" comes from the Arkansas Department of Human
Services. The department says it represents individuals who have
noved off food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children
and into jobs.
TEL:
76 67 das
G0005 r P polar AR-Clinton-Ad-Figures, Ark Bjt, 660
09-09 3:53p
A Look At Clinton's Welfare Claim
19.6 Inches
862-0540
rfjwstffonfls
An AP News Analysis
By RON FOURNIER
Associated Press Writer
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Bill clinton's new ad says Arkansas moved
17,000 people from welfare to jobs, and his campaign said Wednesday
that he cut welfare rolls in Arkansas.
The statements are not patently false, but Clinton and his
presidential campaign failed to mention some important points that
show Arkansas' welfare reform might not always live up to its name:
Project Success.
Clinton, a leader in the welfare reform effort nationally since
1988, began Project Success in his own state in 1989. The
work-training program is designed to get jobs for people on food
stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent children, then move them
off the programs.
His campaign released a one-page Department of Human Services
summary of the program to support the 17,000 figure. According to
DHS, 17,277 AFDC and food stamp recipients moved into jobs and off
welfare under Project Success since July 1989.
Jerry Evans, who compiled the summary for DHS, said the list
does not double-count recipients. If a person moved off of AFDC and
food stamps under the program, they were counted only once, he
said.
But Evans said the agency has no way of knowing how many of the
17,277 people returned to welfare after getting jobs. "We're
working on a computer system that would allow us to track the
recipients," he said Wednesday.
Technically, a recipient could be counted as one of the 17, 277
success stories but could be back on the public dole now, he said.
He said the agency also does not know how many people have been
in Project success since 1989. "We can't tell you right now what
percentage of people in the program have been successfully moved,"
he said.
The ad, which is running in 10 states, fails to mention that the
food stamp and AFDC rolls have grown since Project Success was
started.
DHS figures show that there were 23,793 AFDC cases in September
1989, and there were 26,236 cases in July 1992.
The food stamp caseload grew from 81,793 cases in September 1989
7A
to 103,027 in July 1992, figures show.
"Project Success has helped. Has it solved the problem? of
course not," said Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos.
He said Clinton has successfully moved people off of welfare
rolls while President Bush has ignored the problem.
Clinton led a major effort by the nation's governors in 1988 to
restructure the nation's welfare laws. The result was the Family
Support Act of 1988 which required welfare recipients to move
toward independence through education, training and work. The act
was based on a proposal adopted by the National Governor's
Association in 1987, when Clinton chaired the group.
A statement released by the campaign blames Bush for increased
poverty rates, higher welfare rolls and fewer jobs nationally.
The statement also says Clinton "cut welfare rolls" in
Arkansas. Stephanopoulos said campaign records show welfare rolls
have dropped 14 percent in Arkansas since 1979, Clinton's first
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:08 No.001 P.04
year in office.
stephanopoulos apparently was referring to the AFDC program. The
program shrank from 29,321 AFDC cases 1979 to 26,236 cases in July
1992, according to DHS.
But the campaign failed to mention that the Medicaid and food
stamp rolls have ballooned under Clinton.
According to DHS, there were 73,254 food stamp cases in June
1979, compared to 103,027 in July 1992. DHS says there were 258,705
people eligible for Medicaid in the 1979 fiscal year, compared to
369,926 369, in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Kenny Whitlock, director of the DHS division that oversees the
programs, said Arkansas' programs have grown slower than the
national average.
"We're still better off than most states," he said.
TEL:
Sep
BACKGROUNDER
BUSH
QUAYLE
Research Office
92
Clinton's Welfare Reform Record
Though Bill Clinton campaigns as a crusading welfare reform innovator, and promises
10 "end welfare as we know it," his actual platform calls for nothing beyond what Federal law
already requires. He has said different things to different audiences on what is a central ques-
tion in the welfare reform debate - presidential waivers to permit further state-level experi-
mentation, as pioneered by President Bush. And he has made grand, false claims about the in-
effective Arkansas welfare program he supervises using statistics from a predecessor pro-
gram actually established by Republican Governor Frank White. After Clinton's 12 years in
office, Arkansas now suffers a state welfare bureaucracy whose administrative costs have bal-
looned by 3,000 percent since 1983, and poverty that places the state at or near the bottom of
the country in nearly every meaningful category.
Hollow Promises
On the presidential campaign trail, Clinton makes sweeping promises of radical welfare re-
form: "My national economic strategy will strengthen families and empower all Ameri-
cans to work. It will break the cycle of dependency and end welfare as we know it."
Specifically, Clinton claims he would provide current welfare recipients with up to two
years of education, job training, and child care, after which "those who can work will have
to go to work" in the private sector or in guaranteed public service jobs or lose their
benefits ("Putting People First: A National Economic Strategy").
But Joe Klein, writing in New York magazine ("Profile in What?" 3/16/92), cites no less an
authority than Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan to the effect that everything Clinton pro-
poses on welfare has already been written into Federal law by the Family Support Act of
1988 -- a law Clinton helped draft and lobbied for as a representative of the National Gov-
emors Association.
Campaigning by Applause Meter
Clinton has been evasive on what is currently the nation's central welfare reform question:
presidential waivers to permit additional state experimentation.
Clinton has had two contradictory opinions this year about the New Jersey law denying
additional welfare payments to mothers who have more children. During the New Hamp-
shire primary campaign (WMUR-TV debate, 1/19/92), he opposed the law: "I would not
sign that bill. What I would do is make welfare reform work. I would spend more money
on education and training for these mothers. I agree with Senator Kerrey, give them health
care. Make sure they have child care. Require them to go to work when they can, and if,
after the education program is completed and they haven't gone to work after a certain
amount of time, provide public service employment There's no point in hurting the
kids. What you want to do is liberate the mothers."
Paid for ty Bush Quayle '92 Primary Committee, Inc.
1030 15th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
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29'92
11:09
No.001
2
Speaking in New Jersey several months later, however, Clinton said "There are some very
good things" in the state's new law. "If New Jersey passes a package of laws that requires
a waiver from existing Federal welfare statutes to implement the whole package, I would
be inclined to give the state a waiver to implement that. Because I like a lot of the other
things in the package, and because it is true that the average working family doesn't get an
increase in income when they have an increased number of kids." Also during this appear-
ance, Clinton compared California's proposed welfare revisions unfavorably to New Jer-
sey's and strongly implied he would not approve California's waiver (New York Times,
5/23/92)
Failure in Arkansas: Project Success
Of Clinton's pledge to "end welfare as we know it," U.S. News and World Report
(4/20/92) says "judging from his record, such promises should be taken with more than a
grain of salt." The magazine labels Clinton's welfare platform "unconvincing," and re-
ports that his Arkansas programs "aren't as great as he claims."
Clinton has claimed great things about "Project Success," passed in 1987 as his state's
version of legislation required by the Family Support Act. All able-bodied Arkansas wel-
fare recipients are required to participate in the program unless they have a child under a
year old (Federal law permits exemptions for mothers with children 3 and under). Recipi-
ents who refuse to participate lose their benefits. Participants theoretically receive transi-
tional education, job skills training, day care, transportation, and Medicaid health care
services. Those deemed qualified for the job market are required to look for work and
document their contacts.
At the National Rainbow Coalition forum on January 25 this year, Clinton claimed that
Project Success "has been evaluated by the Manpower Demonstration Research [Corp.] as
one of the three or four best programs in the United States, not because it is oppressing the
poor, kicking the poor around, but because it is instrumental in liberating the poor." In
fact, MDRC has never reviewed Project Success -- nor has any other independent group or
agency.
MDRC did perform an evaluation of the Arkansas WORK program, an 8-county demon-
stration project begun in 1982 by Clinton's predecessor, Republican Governor Frank
White. Clinton expanded the WORK program statewide in 1985, and used it as the model
for his own 1987 proposals. The MDRC study tracked 1,100 AFDC recipients during
WORK's pilot stage, and found that after 9 months, only 3 percent of enrollees had tried a
workfare job. After three years, MDRC found that welfare rolls had been reduced by just
7 percentage points in the experimental group and that the proportion of recipients who had
ever worked was boosted by just 5 percentage points (U.S. News and World Report,
4/20/92).
State officials report that since Project Success was formally inaugurated in July 1989, Ar-
kansas's total welfare caseload has increased -- 10 percent by August 1991, and 12 percent
by this April. Analysts from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the agency
TEL:
Sep
76,67
3
that will formally evaluate Project Success, say they cannot yet determine how well the
program is functioning from available statistics. Official results have not been released
(Arkansas Gazette, 6/24/91; U.S. News and World Report, 4/20/92).
State officials also report that funding shortages make the program's enrollment require-
ments largely toothless. In March 1992, only 4,092 of Arkansas's 26,858 AFDC families
were "active" in Project Success (U.S. News and World Report, 4/20/92).
And despite Clinton's claim that welfare reform works if you "apply sanctions to enforce
it," Arkansas's sanctions are, as Clinton employees acknowledge, also toothless. In 1991,
the state dropped an average of just 203 cases a month (less than 1 percent of all those on
AFDC), numbers which are already inflated because new welfare families replace those
who leave the rolls. Actual monthly benefits cutbacks come to just $30 or $40 dollars, and
when asked if such a sanction is sufficient to encourage compliance with the program, one
Arkansas official admits: "probably not" (U.S. News and World Report, 4/20/92).
Arkansas: Still Poor and Mismanaged After All These Years
Despite a major, Clinton-engineered reorganization at the Arkansas Department of Human
Services, the state's largest agency and the one responsible for welfare, administrative
costs have grown by more than 3,000 percent since 1983 (state budgets, 1983 and 1991).
Clinton's frequent mid-year budget problems were once so severe that he publicly resisted
Federally-imposed tax changes designed to relieve the poor. In 1986, a new Federal law
prohibited Arkansas (and any other state) from charging a sales tax on items bought with
food stamps. The law required that this regressive and punitive practice be abolished in
Arkansas's next legislative session, no later than October 1987. Clinton initially cancelled
an otherwise planned special legislative session specifically to avoid losing revenue from
the food stamp tax. He then decided to go ahead with the special session -- but only after
his lawyer found a loophole in the federal statute through which only a regular session (not
specials) would trigger the exemption requirement.
On April 14, 1987 -- 2,190 days after he became governor -- Clinton finally exempted
food stamps from his sales tax and complied with Federal law. But the bill he signed made
clear that the change was to take effect on the last possible day: October 1. And it also
included an automatic revocation if Federal law should change: "The tax exemption pro-
vided by section 11 of this Act shall expire if the exemption becomes no longer required
for full participation in the food stamp program and the Special Supplemental Food Pro-
gram for Women, Infants and Children" (Pine Bluff Commercial, 2/8/86; Arkansas Demo-
crat, 2/7/86; Arkansas Gazette, 4/11/86; Arkansas Act 1033, approved 4/14/87).
Nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans lives in poverty. A full 19.8 percent of all Arkansas residents live
below the poverty line up from 19 percent in 1980, and one of the four worst state aver-
ages in the country (Arkansas Gazette, 9/20/91 and U.S. Bureau of the Census). The Ar-
kansas Gazette (9/22/91) cites a 1991 study finding that more than half the state's black
residents - 53 percent - live in poverty.
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:10 No.001 P.08
Welfare
Campaign Platform
Clinton cites his welfare reform expertise in his presidential campaign, but until
Vice President Quayle began criticizing the lack of family values promoted by
Democrats and liberal media, it had not been a centerpiece of rhetoric or platform.
During a May 21, 1992 speech, Clinton criticized both President Bush and the
Democrats while proposing a family policy that he said goes beyond the inadequate
responses of the Republican and the Democratic parties. "Family values' can't simply
be a Washington code word for Beltway Republicans who really mean 'You're on your
own' -- or Beltway Democrats who want to spend more of your tax money on
programs that don't embody your values. If family values are going to mean
something, we must offer a third way."1 Clinton presented himself as a public official
who has "worked on family issues harder, longer, than anyone else running for
president." Clinton's proposals for family values include:3
Rewarding work and family by expanding the earned income tax credit to guarantee
a working wage to lift above the poverty line anyone with a family who's working
full time.
Creating a system of training and vouchers for daycare and medical coverage for
children so that families can return to the dignity of a job.
Cracking down on deadbeat parents with national child support enforcement.
Passing the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Fully funding Head Start.
Creating a full sense of personal responsibility and concern for the consequences of
behavior.
Quayle apparently forced Clinton's return to the "personal responsibility" theme
(a favorite since 1986) in his May speech. During the January 19, 1991 WMUR-TV
debate in New Hampshire, Clinton said he would not sign legislation similar to the
recently signed New Jersey law denying additional welfare payments to non-working
mothers who have more children. In May 1992, however, Clinton flip-flopped on the
New Jersey law when he gave tacit approval. "I have mixed feelings about the New
Jersey thing," said Clinton. "I don't want to hurt children. On the other hand, people
in the workforce don't get more money when they have extra babies." According to
Clinton, as president, he would sign a federal waiver allowing the state to impose the
law, primarily because he supports the more positive, less controversial segments that
encourage welfare recipients to earn and save money. Said Clinton, "I have mixed
feelings about it, but I'd give them the chance to try it."S Until Quayle, however,
welfare reform was not a subject Clinton mentioned much on the stump unless pushed.
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:11 No.001 P.09
When questioned, Clinton refers to Project Success, Arkansas' version of the 1988
Family Support Act, which Clinton played a part in drafting. Project Success is one of
the tools Clinton has used to revamp welfare in Arkansas. On the campaign trail,
Clinton says he would "put an end to welfare" with a two-year lid on benefits. Simply
put, he would give the needy all the Project Success-type training they need, along with
the responsibility to get and keep a job or perform public service.⁶
Project Success
In February 1986, Clinton praised three success stories of his state's
experimental Work Program, in which welfare recipients in Arkansas learn how to look
for a job in exchange for their welfare benefits. Clinton and Human Service officials
praised the Work Program, saying it had cut Aid to Families with Dependent Children
(AFDC) expenditures by $1.7 million a year, reduced the number of cases by 5.8
percent, and since its inception in October 1982, assisted more than 3,700 participants
in gaining full-time employment. The focus of the program was to move welfare
recipients into the work force. In an effort to lessen the disincentive for welfare
recipients to get jobs from fear of losing health insurance, Clinton asked the federal
Health Care Financing Administration, which oversees the Medicaid program, to
extend Medicaid coverage for an additional five months for those program participants
who lose AFDC eligibility because of employment.7
In December 1986, Clinton announced he would present a comprehensive
welfare-reform bill during the 1987 state legislative session. Based almost exclusively
on the National Governor's Association (NGA) welfare-reform bill, and the Work
Program already in place, Clinton said the bill would require all people receiving
public assistance to participate in educational and job-training programs that would
make them more qualified and effective as parents and employees. The bill also
required fathers, when they're in the home, to "take a job, be available to take at job or
be available for public service work," Clinton said.⁸
Project Success, Clinton's 1987 proposal, is Arkansas' version of the welfare-
reform programs required by the federal Family Support Act of 1988. Clinton, then
NGA chairman, was a major proponent of federal welfare reform. In Arkansas, all
able-bodied welfare recipients are required to enter the program unless they have a
child younger than 1 year old. The state's standards for participation are tougher than
those required under the federal act, which allows exemptions for mothers with
children age 3 and under. Welfare recipients who refuse to participate are penalized by
a cutoff of benefits.
Project Success allows participation in any of several components: education
classes, including literacy courses or adult education classes aimed at a high school
equivalency degree or more advanced schooling; job training, including classes at
vocational-technical schools or private career colleges; a work experience program
where participants receive state jobs to help them learn a skill; and a "job club," where
participants learn job-hunting skills such as filling out applications, writing resumes and
getting through a job interview. Participants deemed educated or skilled enough to be
in the job market are required to look for work and document their job contacts.¹⁰
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:11 No.001 P.10
Effectiveness
Despite Clinton's hyping of the results of Project Success, it has come under
some criticism. In speeches, Clinton cites some impressive statistics, saying 200 to 300
people each month are taking jobs and leaving the welfare roles after going through
Project Success. In fall 1990, some legislators were openly skeptical of the idea of
hundreds of welfare recipients moving through the program an into permanent jobs
each month. An analyst from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, an
agency that will analyze Project Success, said he could not tell how the program is
doing from available statistics.¹¹
State records do show that in March 1991, 275 welfare cases and 357 food
stamp cases were closed out for Project Success participants who got jobs. But the
DHS cannot supply statistics on how many participants end up back on the rolls for
AFDC after short periods as wage earners. The numbers also show that, despite
Project Success, the state's total welfare caseload has increased since the program
began in July 1989.12
To blunt the criticism regarding how many participants returned to AFDC rolls
after short periods as wage-earners, the DHS randomly selected 437 of the 4,364
AFDC participants who moved off welfare in 1990. DHS reported that 72 percent of
those participants were still employed in August 1991. Department officials reported
the program saved more than $11 million in payments from AFDC, food stamps, and
Medicaid in 1990. Most Project Success graduates found jobs in factories, and the
overall average starting salary was $4.25 an hour.¹³ "We're not taking people off the
welfare rolls as fast as they're getting on, but this [Project Success] is putting a dent
into it," said DHS Director Dr. Terry Yamauchi.14 Despite these claims, AFDC
recipients increased from 24,000 in July 1989, to 26,400 in August 1991, a 10 percent
increase. But Arkansas is below the national average, which shows an 18 percent
increase between July 1989 and April 1991.15
Recipients unwilling to follow DHS guidelines lose their welfare benefits. DHS
statistics show that for every 100 people in Project Success who get a job, between 50
and 75 lose their benefits. However, benefits are revoked only for those in the
program. Children still receive benefits. In 1991, the average AFDC payment was
$193.62 a month. Food stamp payments average about $167 a month.16
National Governors Association
In 1986, as chairman-elect of the National Governors Association (NGA),
Clinton relayed governors' concerns regarding President Reagan's 1987 budget. The
budget would sharply reduce federal spending on Medicaid, and Clinton estimated that
Arkansas' Medicaid spending would rise by 20 percent to compensate for the proposed
cuts. Moreover, the governor said he warned Reagan that, "you'll be shooting yourself
in the foot" by scaling back Medicaid while trying simultaneously to require welfare
mothers to take jobs. Despite reservations, Clinton generally endorsed the President's
welfare-reform plan and thought there was "a bipartisan consensus" that it should be
adopted.¹⁷
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:12 No.001 P.11
In February 1987, the NGA introduced its welfare reform proposal to
administration and congressional leaders. Clinton helped write the proposal, which is
widely thought to have been based on the work of the American Public Welfare
Association, a bipartisan group representing 50 state human service departments. The
proposal greatly expanded education and training programs for welfare recipients and
made enrollment in such programs mandatory for most recipients. NGA officials
estimated that the plan initially would require about $1 billion (which Clinton called a
"modest increase")" in additional spending, with 85 percent coming from the federal
government. The governors argued that government would ultimately save money as
welfare recipients found jobs and no longer needed public assistance. The governors
also promoted long-term proposals to extend welfare eligibility to two-parent families,
and to establish minimum benefit levels nationwide. Those proposals would cost far
more to implement - probably $3.6 billion annually, admitted NGA officials.¹⁹
President Reagan endorsed three key components of the NGA welfare-reform
proposal, but declined to say whether he supported the governors' request for $1 billion
annually to implement the proposal. According to Clinton, Reagan agreed that
education and job programs for welfare recipients should be expanded; that all
recipients except those with children under age 3 should be required to enroll in such
programs; and that all states should require recipients to sign contracts spelling out their
rights and responsibilities. But Reagan opposed the governors' long-term proposal for
a national "family living standard" that would guarantee minimum benefits levels and
uniform eligibility rules across the country. Reagan indicated that he opposed an
increase in federal spending on welfare programs.20 When presenting the welfare-
reform proposal to the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives,
Clinton expressed a reluctance "to ask Congress to frontload the program with a lot of
costs with all the problems you have up here."
In April 1987, speaking before the Senate Finance Committee, Clinton said he
had "no problem* with establishing a federal-state matching rate in which the federal
share of funding the educational and training programs would be 60 percent, and the
state's 40 percent. Clinton stressed that priorities should be to first "beef up" education
and training requirements, then extend Medicaid coverage and daycare services to
recipients making the transition into the work place, then raise benefits."
In October 1987, the NGA welfare-reform bill was delayed by Congress when it
failed to be admitted as part of a House reconciliation bill. Although the vote was
close, critics voted against the reconciliation bill because spending provisions in
addition to welfare reform, including increases in Medicaid and food stamps, were
added to the bill. In addition to participation of able-bodied welfare recipients in work
or education programs, the House included welfare benefits for two-parent families and
financial incentives for states to meet a minimum benefit level. Clinton and the NGA
originally recommended that these additions be included, but because of money
constraints, decided to push for the main work/education provision of the program, and
include other provisions after the program showed some success. With the new
additions, the price tag for welfare reform rose from $1 billion to $2.5 billion.23
By November 1987, the welfare-reform bill was back in the Ways and Means
Committee, and Clinton was lobbying for its passage. By December 1987, Clinton was
TEL:
Sep 29'92
11:13 No
praising the House for passing the reform bill and urging the Senate to do the same.24
Less than a year later, President Reagan signed the Family Support Act into law, and
praised the governors for their efforts.25
Welfare in Arkansas
As early as 1985, Arkansas' Department of Human Services (DHS) attracted
criticism. To combat growing complaints from inside and outside the department, in
March 1985 Clinton signed legislation reorganizing the DHS. The bill abolished some
parts of the agency, and created divisions to cover specific services delivered through
the DHS. 26 The 1985 reorganization was intended to decentralize the massive agency
by establishing county offices as the gateway to the department's services, and,
according to Clinton, "to meet the needs of the people in a more efficient and
comprehensive way. At the same time, the agency director was given sweeping new
powers intended to stem interdepartmental turf battles.
In September 1988, the Bureau of Legislative Research released an assessment
of the 1985 reorganization. Findings of this study indicated that since the
reorganization, progress had been made in Director authority, and ability to deliver
service to clients. However, major problems were noted in administrative support
divisions. Task force reports indicated that the needs of programmatic divisions were
ignored by the administration, as well as the need for administrative systems to be aids
in helping program managers make policy decisions. A large portion of those surveyed
indicated understaffing remained a problem, and that there were too many supervisors
giving instructions to those persons responsible for servicing clients.²⁸ Critics and
some legislators contend that the reorganization accomplished little beyond expanding a
bureaucracy that was already too big. Clinton himself has suggested that a fine-tuning
of the 1985 reorganization might be in order. 29
Budget problems loomed within the DHS. In 1986, Clinton actually blamed
part of the fiscal problems on the federal government's decision to not allow Arkansas
(or any other state) to charge a sales tax on items bought with food stamps. Clinton
complained that he could not call a special session of the General Assembly because if
he did so, the state would be forced to immediately eliminate the sales tax on food
stamps, which cost the state an additional $5 million to $7 million in lost revenue. A
Pine Bluff Commercial report on a Clinton press conference announcing the budget cuts
stated:
"He said he does not plan to call the legislature into special
session. Were he to do so, he said, the economic difficulties could
become more severe because a federal provision says the state sales tax
on food stamps must be removed as soon as the legislature is in session at
any time prior to October, 1986, which is the time when the tax is to be
removed anyway. The action will cost the state $5 million to $7 million a
year, Clinton said. "30
TEL:
Sep 29'92
11:14 No.001 P.13
The Arkansas Gazette report on the same press conference attributes the same
comments to Clinton. An April 11, 1986 Arkansas Gazette reiterates Clinton's
unwillingness to eliminate the extremely regressive tax until the last possible moment
allowed by federal law. The Gazette reported that accoding to state officials "a federal
law that Governor Bill Clinton said two months ago would make him hesitant to call a
special session is no longer a concern. Joan Robbers, Mr. Clinton's press secretary,
said that the governor's attorney had reviewed the federal legislation and determined
that a regular session, but not a. special session, would cause the state to have to meet
an earlier deadline for removing those taxes." Clinton actually had his lawyers find a
loophole in the federal legislation so that he could continue taxing poor people's food
stamps.
Budget woes for the DHS continued. In the 1987 budget, the DHS, whose
percentage of state general revenues had been shrinking during the 1980s, requested
substantially more money for the following two fiscal years than Clinton recommended
for legislative approval. Human Services requested $264,542,986 in fiscal 1987-88 -
a 13.5 percent increase over state funding for fiscal year 1986-87, and $274,148,236 in
fiscal 1988-89, a 17.7 percent increase. Clinton recommended the legislature approve
general revenues of only $228,520,412 for the department during the first year of the
biennium, and $239,980,512 the second year. In spite of protests from Ray Scott, then
director of the department, Clinton's lesser amount prevailed. "With all due respect to
the governor," said Scott, "there's no way I can run a 1988 Department of Human
Services program on a 1987 budget."31 Scott explained that the biggest problem facing
the department was the lack of state dollars. According to Scott, when the state fails
to provide 25 cents for human services, it loses 75 cents in matching money it could get
from the federal government.32
Mental Health
Throughout 1986, the DHS was caught in controversy. In February, at the
Benton Services Transition Unit, a mentally disabled client died while being physically
restrained by four employees. At first his family was told he choked on bubble gum,
but a later medical finding showed he died of mechanical suffocation caused by
compression. In June, the attorney general's office released a report of its investigation
into the death, which officials said indicated no criminal liability. However, the report
indicated employees should be disciplined for "errors in judgment" in using restraint.³³
In July, nine organizations, representing thousands of handicapped Arkansans, called
for changes in programs that provide care for the physically and mentally disabled.
The groups threatened legal action.3
The department also came under scrutiny by the federal Health Care Financing
Administration (HCFA), which decides whether institutions for the developmentally
disabled and the mentally ill, as well as hospitals, meet federal standards and thereby
qualify for Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. In July, HCFA decided that the
state hospital no longer qualified when it decertified the psychiatric hospital and
stripped Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements because of deficiencies in medical
record keeping and treatment plans. HCFA also threatened to strip reimbursements to
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:14 No.001 P.14
the Benton Services Transition Unit, the Booneville Human Development Center and
the Alexander Human Development Center for deficient treatment plans. The
institutions, however, corrected deficiencies and passed their subsequent HCFA
inspections.
Conclusion
Clinton's record in welfare reform will be attributed to the success or failure of
Project Success, which was originated by the American Public Welfare Association,
and molded into current federal law by the Family Support Act of 1988. National
reviews on Project Success and its counterparts are inconclusive. According to
Governing magazine, Project Success is a hindrance to states that already had ambitious
welfare-to-work programs in place. By that assessment, Clinton claims of the
programs' success indicate a lack of initiative in the first three quarters of his tenure as
governor.
Critics have long accused Clinton of a lack of interest in human services. That
assessment holds credence in view of the constant controversy with which the DHS
seems to be embroiled. The DHS has been a target for law suits. The Mental Health
Division came under scrutiny in 1986, and more recently the state's Department of
Children's Services has been attacked for being unable to protect abused and neglected
children (covered in the Children paper). Clinton critics agree that social services have
been understaffed and underfunded. In recent years, Clinton has blamed the Reagan-
Bush policies of the 1980s for reducing federal funds. But in FY1987-88, 67.3 percent
of the DHS funding came from the federal government, up .3 percent from FY1986-
87.36
According to 1991 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Arkansas remains a poverty
state: only three other states have higher percentages of poor. Nearly one out of five
Arkansans lives in poverty. Nationally, more than 13 percent of the country's residents
live below the poverty line. In Arkansas the percentage is 19.8 percent, up from 19
percent in 1980.37
June 19, 1992
TEL:
Sep 29'92
11:15 No.001
Washington Post, Clinton Proposes 6-Point Program to Aid Families, 5/22/92.
2Washington Post, Clinton Proposes 6-Point Program to Aid Families, 5/22/92.
3Femily Values Speech, Cleveland, Ohio, 5/21/92.
"Philadeiphia Inquirer, Clinton on Women's Issues: Both Liberal and Not so Liberal, 5/23/92.
STbid
⁶Philadelphia Inquirer, Job training is key to Clinton's welfare reform, 5/7/92.
'Arkansas Gazene, Project for AFDC recipients to begin Work Program, 2/22/86.
"Arkensas Gazette, Governor promises welfare reform bill, 12/14/86.
⁹Arkansas Gazette, Welfare project gets folks jobs, 6/24/91.
10Tbid
"Ibid
12Thid
13Project Success Jobs Survey Data, Department of Human Services, 10/14/91.
14 Arkansas Gazente, 72% who left welfare in '90 still at work, 10/9/91.
15 Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Clinton builds on welfare idea, 11/11/91.
"Thid
17 Arkansas Gazette, Governors tell fears to Reagan, 2/25/86.
18 Arkansas Gazette, NGA panel endorses reforms, 2/23/87.
19 Arkansas Gazette, NGA panel endorses reforms, 2/23/87.
20 Arkansas Gazette, 2/24/87.
21 Arkansas Gazene, Armed with president's support, 2/25/87.
22 Arkansas Gazette, Governor is pleased by progress made on welfare, 4/10/87.
23 Gazette Washington Bureau, Clinton to continue efforts on welfare, 10/30/87.
24 Gratte Washington Bureau, 12/17/87.
25 Administration of Ronald Reagan, 1988.
26 Arkansas Gazette, Reorganization bill signed, 3/15/85.
27Ibid
28 Study of the 1985 reorganization of the DHS, 9/20/88.
29 Arkansas Gazette, Social services still troubled, 2/22/91
30pine Bluff Commercia!, 2/8/86. (Marty's Fiscal Budget Paper)
31 Arkansas Gazette, Clinton's budget not enough, 11/19/86.
³²Ibid.
33 Arkansas Gazette, Turnultuous time has some bright spots, 12/21/86,
34 Arkansas Gazette, Reform programs for state's disabled, 7/12/86.
35 Arkansas Gazette, Tumultuous time has some bright spots, 12/21/86.
36DHS Operating Budgets, 1986-87 & 1987-88.
37 Arkansas Gazette, 1 of S Arkansans in poverty, 9/27/91, Census Bureau.
TEL:
Sep 29'92
11:15
NO
Welfare Statistics
Total Expenditures for Dept. of Human Services'
1982
172,462,077.
1983
177,059,881.
1984
190,513,812.
1985
201,569,912.
1986
236,895,080.
1987
261,112,325.
1988
259,130,620.
1989
270,602,042.
1990
295,397,213.
1991
306,193,835.
Federal Funding to the Arkansas Dept. of Human Services2
1987
67% (of total DHS budget)
1988
67.3%
1989
67.5%
1990
66.4%
1991
67.5%
AFDC Monthly Average Per Family3
1980
$144.50
1981
135.90
1982
124.27
1983
127.61
1984
150.55
1985
164.40
1986
178.42
1987
184.8
AFDC Monthly Average Per Recipient4
1980
$ 50.30
1981
47.96
1982
43.47
1983
45.08
1984
53.02
1985
55.76
1986
60.47
1987
63.05
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:16 No.001 P.17
Average Number of Families Receiving AFDC Monthly5
1978-79
29,321
1979-80
29,335
1980-81
29,573
1981-82
25,501
1982-83
22,281
1983-84
22,383
1984-85
21,990
1985-86
22,488
1986-87
22,843
1987-88
23,585
SENT BY DES
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DHSS-
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are
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM?
Goal of Gov. Thompson's welfare reform is to ensure that both parents fulfill financial
responsibilities to their children
- in 1991, for every $1 spent to collect child support, $6.68 was collected
in child support payments,
'
WI ranked 2nd in states for collecting child support from those obliged to pay it
(WI is 32.5%, behind Vermont's 32.6%. National rate is 18%, 1990 data),
6
still, estimates show WI children were owed $927 million in uncollected child support
payments in 1990.
CF motivates Non-Custodial Parents (NCPs) to pay by:
- providing job training through required community service (unpaid) and
- case management and monitoring to ensure NCPs attend job placement, pay child support,
or face jail sentence.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE CF PROGRAM?
NCPs who are delinquent in child support
PROGRAM SUCCESS IN FIRST YEAR
and don't work full-time.
comparing NCPs in program 6 mths before/after referral
January-October 1990. Source: OPB Study 5/91.
HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
Racine
Fond'Lac
The court orders delinquent NCP
Number of
into program
clients paying
A case manager performs assessment
child support
+94%
+44%
and monitoring
Total child support
- training handled through JOBS programs
collections
+145%
+28%
-
child support payments handled by local
child support agencies.
REQUIREMENTS
NCP must pay child support 3 consecutive months, or complete
16 weeks of community service (job training).
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF CF PROGRAM
A welfare reform initiative by Gov. Thompson
-
part of Welfare Reform Act of 1987,
- first began in 1990,
- originally a pilot program in 2 counties (Fond du Lac/Racine),
- 7 additional counties applied for expansion in 1993.
COST OF PROGRAM?
100% state funded, each county reimbursed $200 per client.
Current state funding:
$80,000 for 400 clients in Racine,
-
$12,000 for 60 clients in Fond du Lac,
- $178,000 for 890 clients in expansion (7 counties),
$270,000 total program funding for 1992-93.
Some counties have contributed own resources to expand their programs.
SENT BY:DES
9-28-92: 5:08PM :
DHSS-
2024566218:# 1/ 2
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
STATE OF WISCONSIN
HSS-32 (8/89)
COVER
FACSIMILE
MESSAGE
TO:
Name
Carol Aarhus
Facsimile Telephone Number
Location
Room Number
Telephone 202-456-6218 Number
FROM (Sender):
Name
Location
fear Roger
Number Pages
Facsimile Telephone Number
Including This
608-267-3240
Cover Sheet
Telephone Number
OPERATOR:
(414) 929 - 3780 (414) 929-3780
Destroy Originals
Return Originals to Sender
COMMENTS/INSTRUCTIONS:
THE FACSIMILE MACHINE COPIES ONE SIDE OF DOCUMENT
Call sender (Telephone Number) if there is a problem with transmission.
September 24, 1992
Memorandum
TO:
Richard Darman
Dennis Ross
Andrew Carpendale
Steve Provost
FROM:
Tom Scully
Gail Wilensky
Attached is a draft press statement on a Child Support Enforcement Initiative. We
are also putting together a more detailed backup booklet for release with the
proposal.
We have also attached a summary of Clinton's record on Child Support. Although
he has not come out for a "package", his record is very strong. We threw in
everything we could think of that was reasonable -- and almost all of the proposals
Clinton has supported at some point. Nevertheless, we think it is a strong,
positive package that will get a good reception
pow Srokes - person, L anecdoral.
-
-
core letter
O
.
-
sases's Tragage.
outli - 2 pge-3 pay es
-
- quick bio- -
10 payer Todis
Snits-
DRAFT
For Immediate Release
September , 1992
Title Options:
[Child Support Enforcement Initiative]
[Project KIDS: Keep Irresponsible Dads Supportive]
[Project Pay-Up]
FACT SHEET
The President announced today a new comprehensive child support
enforcement strategy to ensure that absent parents pay child support, no matter
where they live. The President's initiative will:
Require wage withholding for absent parents. Universal employer income
withholding would be required, and payroll withholding would follow absent
parents from job to job. The W-4 would be updated to include information
on child support responsibilities.
Overdue child support will become tax liabilities. Delinquent absent parents
would face stiff penalties and delinquent payments would be treated as tax
liabilities, collectible by State and Federal Internal Revenue Services.
Payments collected would go directly to custodial parents.
Recognize all child support orders in all States. Require all States to recognize
and enforce child support orders established in other States. Place jurisdiction
for child support disputes in the State where the child resides. This will
prevent fathers from avoiding payment by moving to another State, and
speed up enforcement of interstate orders.
Cover health services in child support orders. Absent parents would be
required to cover children under their employer's health plan when coverage
is available at reasonable cost.
Non-paying parents ineligible for all Federal benefits. Any parent who is
delinquent in child support payments could not qualify for any new Federal
benefits. Existing benefits will be garnished in the amount of the award and
sent directly to the custodial parent.
Keep up with absent parents. Mothers or custodial parents will get better
access to existing records to track down absent parents, and new information
will be kept to track down "deadbeat dads" when they change jobs.
No payment / no passport. Deadbeat parents could not qualify for a passport,
and existing passports could be withdrawn.
No payment / no professional license. Deadbeat parents could not have State
professional licenses issued or renewed.
No payment / no Federal loans or loan guarantees. Deadbeat parents could
not qualify for FHA home loans, guaranteed student loans, or any other
Federal loan guarantee.
Make the Federal government a model employer. Require up-to-date
employer records and immediate payroll withholding
The Problem
Federal child support enforcement (CSE) services have improved
significantly over the last three years, but the entire system needs major
improvement. Children deserve economic support from both parents and
aggressive steps to improve compliance.
Fathers were absent from 10 million families in 1989, according to a 1990
Census report.
Only half of absent parents are under order to pay child support. Of those
required to pay, only half pay on time, in full.
Only one in eight absent parents cover their children's health needs.
Absent parents can often avoid paying child support by moving to another
State and exploiting uncoordinated legal processes.
$5 billion in court ordered child support fails to reach families each year. Back
payments due to families from prior years total $15 billion to $20 billion.
Accomplishments So Far
Family income. In the first three years of this Administration (through 1991),
Annual State child support enforcement collections increased by $2.3 billion,
from $4.6 billion in 1988 to $6.9 billion in 1991.
Paternities. There were 460,000 paternities established for children of single
mothers in FY 1991, a 50% increase over 1988.
Cases with collections. Child support agencies had 2.6 million cases with
child support collections in FY 1991, a 37% increase over 1988.
2
The President's Comprehensive Child Support Enforcement Proposal
The President's proposal will go after absent parents who renege on their
responsibilities to support their children. The President's proposal will:
Require wage withholding for absent parents. All paychecks will be subject to
withholding to pay child support immediately. Today, the President directed
the Treasury Department to modify the W-4 form so fathers must tell new
employers how much child support to deduct from their salaries and where
to send the payment. The President proposes that employers use the new W-
4 information to start wage withholding with the first paycheck and forward a
copy of the form to the child support agency. Absent parents who do not
receive paychecks will pay through automatic bank draft or other automatic
means whenever such avenues are available.
Overdue child support will become tax liabilities. The President today
directed the Internal Revenue Services to set up a special CSE-funded team to
help States collect child support from evasive, absent parents who abandon
the support of their children. Legislation would empower States to add
overdue child support to State and Federal tax debts. Absent parents would be
advised in October how much extra to add to their tax payments. The State
and Federal IRS's would collect the past due amounts, and send the money
directly to the custodial parents, without deducting any administrative costs.
Recognize all child support orders in all States. States will use long-arm
statutes to speed up cases where the child and absent parent live in different
States. When the home State of the child has jurisdiction, it will retain
continuing, exclusive jurisdiction as long as the child lives there. The absent
parent's State will not issue a conflicting order or try to modify the child's
State order. The child's State will be empowered to obtain an absent parents'
financial information and order wage withholding anywhere in the country.
Absent parents who move to another State for the purpose of avoiding
paying child support will be subject to Federal criminal penalties.
Cover health services in child support orders. The President's plan will
enable more children to get health coverage when available to absent parents
at reasonable cost. Currently, only 40 percent of court orders include health
coverage, with only about a third of those orders being obeyed. Today, the
President directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue rules
that make it a legal presumption that health coverage will be included in
support orders when available at reasonable cost. Legislation will give States
stronger tools to enforce medical support.
Non-paying parents ineligible for all Federal benefits. Absent parents who are
delinquent on child support must negotiate and keep current with a
3
repayment plan or they will be disqualified from receiving any new Federal
benefits. When new Federal beneficiaries are under a repayment plan, or
existing beneficiaries are delinquent, the full amount due will be deducted
from the benefit and sent to the custodial parent.
Keep up with absent parents. Today, the President directed the Department
of Labor to help find absent parents in other States by giving child support
enforcement agencies complete access to its interstate wage data network.
Recent limited use of this network has found it to be the best existing aid to
finding delinquent parents who hide in other States. This network will be
supplemented with the new W-4 tracking system that will have more timely
information.
No payment / no passport. Upper income absent delinquent parents should
not be able to move to another country, or leave temporarily, to avoid child
support enforcement proceedings. Nor should they enjoy international
vacations when they owe the money to their children. Absent parents owing
past due child support would not be eligible for passports. Existing passports
would be withdrawn from those owing large amounts.
No payment / no professional license. Absent parents who are behind on
child support payments would not get normal professional licenses. They
would receive temporary licenses that would expire in six months if they do
not catch up on child support payments.
No payment / no Federal loans or loan guarantees. Deadbeat absent parents
are, by definition, bad credit risks - they do not pay their debts on time.
Absent parents must catch up on child support payments to receive any
Federal loan or loan guarantee, including FHA home loans, student loans,
and others. Non-payment will also be reported to credit agencies and will
jeopardize access to private credit as well.
Make the Federal government a model employer. The proposal will make
the Federal government a model for other employers to follow. When the
absent parent reports a child support obligation on the W-4, a Federal agency
will contact the proper child support enforcement agency so it can start wage
withholding in the first pay period. Federal agencies and the military will
update more regularly the information used to search for absent parents and
initiate wage withholding actions. The Office of Child Support Enforcement's
Parent Locator Service will get enhanced authority, including on-line access
to data needed to help States verify social security numbers more quickly.
The President's plan also includes a wide range of other management
improvements, examples of which are improved review of State Child Support
Enforcement (CSE) programs, closer connections between CSE and income support
programs, faster paternity determination, awards for local CSE office performance,
etc.
4
The President's 1996 goals for the Federal child support enforcement program
Support orders. Require 75 percent of absent parents to pay child support, up
from 50 percent.
Collections. Collect in full, on time from 75 percent of absent parents, up
from 50 percent.
Health coverage. Get health coverage from half of absent parents, up from
one in eight.
Paternities. Establish paternity for 2 of every 3 children born to single
mothers, up from one in three.
The President's proposal incorporates best practices from States,
recommendations from the U.S. Commission on Interstate Child Support, and a
focus on Federal leadership. The President's proposal will help children whose
parents try to elude paying support, mothers who must seek support from absent
parents in other States, and children who need health coverage. It will also make
payment easier for those absent parents who want to pay in full, on time.
5
Clinton did support the Workplace Fairness Bill in 1991 but has had problems
with fairness for women in his own state government.37 (See Sexual Discrimination)
Beyond supporting this legislation in 1991 and the ERA, it is not at all clear exactly
what Clinton has done to ensure equal pay for women. The lack of civil rights
legislation in Arlonams certainly hurts women who are subject to inequity in pay and
general discrimisation.
Welfare Reform and Women: Clinton's welfare reform ideas also appear to
be reforms that would ride on the backs of poor women: e.g., after flip flopping,
Clinton finally admitted that he would deny additional welfare benefits to women who
had more children." He has also said that mothers should have to work for their
walfare checks after two years.
Child Support: Bill Clinton has consistently worked to create better child
support enforcement procedures. In fact, it could be said that some of Clinton's
numerous reforms in Arkansas have gone too far. "You almost can't come up with a
penalty for child support, for people who won't pay it, that I think is too harsh. So
many people think they can bring children Into this world and leave them for the
government to raise. Governments don't do it nearly as well as people do."40 Clinton
has suggested using the IRS and reporting "dead beat dads" to credit agencies.41 He
also endorses the idea of having a national "deadbeat databank. =42
Beyond the Child Support Commission established in 1976 Clinton has
supported child support legislation every session in Arkansss since he became
governor. Child support has also evolved into a campaign policy topic which Clinton
often brings up. Tough child support enforcement fits into Clinton's thinking about the
role of government and of the Individual: "There will have to be 1 greater emphasis on
personal responsibility on the part of the people who benefit from government
programs, like welfare reform and child-support enforcement programs. Newsweek
reported, "To promote responsible parents, Clinton proposes tough new 'deadbeat dad'
laws to force the payment of child support."45 "We ought to say to our working
people, we want to help you raise your children, but If you run off and leave your
children, we're going to have the toughest system of child support this country's ever
seen to that you have to take care of your children." Child support is also an issue
which is intertwined with welfare and poverty issues for Clinton: in 1987, the
Arkansas Gazette reported that Clinton claimed the "welfare began as a program to help
widowed women but has evolved into a child-support program."
In 1991, the National Commission on Children (Clinton is on this commission)
suggested that the "government set up a trial program to provide & guaranteed
minimum support payment If a parent can't pay."4" Clinton raised the issue of child
support in his announcement speech: "We should insist on the toughest possible child
support enforcement. Governments don't raise children, parents do, And when they
don't their children pay forever and so do we."" While speaking to the National
Women's Political Causus in 1991, Clinton claimed that it was impossible for him to
senseive of & child support law be would not support.50
In the Colorado democratic presidential debate in February 1992, in remarks to
the DLC in May 1992. in addressing the American Newspaper Publishers Association
in May 1992, Clinton consistently calls for the toughest, uniformed system of child
support possible.3 After the Los Angeles riots and in the discussion of family values,
Cânton commented that, under the Republicans. the country had "a laughable system
of child support unforcement. In May 1992, Clinton offered two suggestions of the
kinds of child support logislation he would like to we implemented: "releasing the
names of "deadbeat fathers' to credit-rating agencies if they do not make court-ordered
payments, and instituting s national collection system, administered by the Internal
Revenue Service.
I
Child Support Legislation: In 1986, Clinton wanted a federal mandate
requiring that status' child support enforcement laws state that child support cases
are handled in a speedy manner. In 1991, Clinton endorsed a bill which helped
to identify fathers of illegitimate children and force them to pay child support.
That same year, Clinton supported a bill which required employers to automatically
deduct child support payments from paychecks - the current law in Arkansas at that
time was to garnish wages only when child support payments were late. In 1988,
Clinton designated a "Child Support Week" with advertising stressing the
importance of paying child support." In 1990, Dr. Elders, Director of the
Arkansas Department of Health, introduced the idea of automatically deducting 17
percent of unwed fathers' paychecks for child support, and endorsed putting the
social security numbers of the parents (married or not) on birth certificates. SE As of
1991, social security numbers were put on birth certificates in order to crack down
OR "deadbest dads" se Dr. Elders had suggested in 1990 that this law be made
tougher by adding the 17 percent automatic deduction as well.s In 1991, Clinton
signed a law which adjusted child support payments based on income changes of 10
percent or more.60 Also in 1991, Clinton explained: "In our state, we passed a law
this year which anys if you owe more than $1,000 in child support we'll report your
name to every credit agency in the state. We don't think people should borrow
money until they take care of their children, and that ought to be the law in
America.
Problems with Enforcement in Arkansas: While Clinton has spoken and
Ingislated a great deal on the issue of child support, he has had some administrative
problems with actually implementing his tough laws. In 1986, the Pulesld County
Child Support Unit had so many problems that a county court had to decide whether
to allow the county to remain responsible for child support enforcement services or
to turn the responsibility over to the state. The problems seamed to revolve around
the sequisition of a computer system needed for child support enforcement and the
fact that the unit had received many complaints about the way it was being run.
While Ray Scott (the Director of the Human Services Department) and Clinton said
that the unit would stay under direction of the county, Walt Patterson, Deputy
Director for Human Services' Economic and Medical Services. told the press that
the unit would be given to the state to control. Ray Scott said that he would not
explain all the problems of the unit to the media.62
The court offered 1 resolution urging Clinton to allow the state to "assume
enforcement responsibilities until the standards meet state and federal
requirements. " The Pulaski County Quorum Court explained that the necessity of
the resolution was because of a substandard staff, a lack of accountability regarding
pending casework, and complaints from mothers about "the way their child support
cases had been handled by the unit" - i.e., inadequate services. Despite the
resolution, the Governor's Commission on Child Support Enforcement decided to
defer action on a resolution asking that the contract for the county unit not be
renewed - instead, the commission decided to simply monitor the unit's progress.
Despite Clinton's rhetoric regarding the success of Arkansas' child support
enforcement legislation, Arkansas has had more problems with enforcement besides
the Pulaski unit. In 1987, State Representative Jodie Mahony railied support for
child support legislation by pointing out that Arkansas ranked 44th in the nation for
the "amount of child support payments collected compared to the amount spent to
sollect them. """ According to the Arkansas Department of Human Services' chief
counsel, Debby Nye, the amount of child support collected in 1989 was & record
for Arkansas but "only 52 percent of the 82,000 cases handled by the [state's child
support] unit have produced court orders for child support payments and an average
of 52 percent of those under such orders fall to pay in a given month.' "65
Women's Rights
National Civil Rights Bill: Clinton strongly supported the National Civil
Rights bill of 1991. While attacking the administration on the subject of quotas,
Clinton stated: "I tried to say we were against quotas to expose what I thought was a
bogus attack on the civil rights bill by the administration. 1 still believe it was a bogus
attack. It's clearly part of a national Republican strategy to keep suffering white
working people in the Republican cump by frightening them into believing that blacks
and Hispanics and women want their jobs or promotions." "I'm for the civil-rights
bill because 70 percent of new entrants into the job market will be women and
minorities, and we need & system of fairness. *67 At the National Women's Political
Causus in July 1991, Clinton said that he supported the civil rights bill because, "You
know that the main purpose of the bill will be to provide more protection for women in
the workplace" and that the "main impact" of the civil rights bill would be on
worken.
Equal Rights Amendment At the end of 1978, Clinton said that he was
"genuinely undecided" on whether the deadline for radfying the ERA should have been
extended. By 1979, however, he sent his top aide to testify in favor of the resolution,
and AP reported that Clinton considered the ERA one of the most important pieces of
legislation to come before the legislature. In the 1979 legislative session, the Arkansas
General Assembly considered, and rejected, 2 resolution calling for ratification of the
Regul Rights Amendment.
SEP-18-92 FRI 17:46
P.01
THE LAW OFFICES OF
DEBORAH STEELMAN
Columbia Square
555 13th Street, N.W. - Suite 1220 East
Washington, D.C. 20004-1109
(202) 637-5890
TELECOPIER: (202) 637-5892
TELECOPIER COVER SHEET
Date: 9/18/92
Time:
5:00
Fax No.: 456-2878
Client No.:
0011
To:
Dennis Ross
From:
Deborah Steelman
Number of Pages (excluding cover sheet):
5
Person Sending: Chris Ehrlich
Other Instructions:
IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS RECEIVING, PLEASE
CALL PERSON SENDING IMMEDIATELY
SEP-18-92 FRI 17:47
IDEA:
Speech by the President during the last few days of September to preempt potential Clinton
events on National Children's Health Day (October 5), or National Children's Day (October
11).
1)
Raise inadequacy of Arkansas program prior to Clinton's children's speeches.
2)
Redefine Bush Administration in terms of family policy not family values.
CONTEXT:
1)
Clinton is vulnerable.
Governor Clinton was sued by the ACLU for his government's negligence in
administering the foster care system - placing children in as many as 40
different homes in four years. Hopcless foster care -- literally being without
family -- is a prime contributor to mental illness and criminal behavior among
children.
Clinton was a member of the National Commission on Children and did not
111
attend a single meeting.
2) from the hopeful message that every child deserves a stable home in which to learn honesty,
"Family Values" is now a negative because the connotation of the phrase has moved
integrity, and selflessness, to the idea that Republicans are a party of intolerant 1950's
throwbacks.
Silence on the topic allows the damage to spread -- dinner table conversations
all over the country reinforce our negatives.
Replacing purely rhetorical idealogy with concrete examples of how
government helps or fails children and what the consequences are for the
public can hit Clinton where it hurts and regain some of our own lost ground.
3) The Bush Administration efforts on behalf of children include a coordinated campaign to
focus government and national attention on the problems of child abuse and neglect.
For the first time in history eight cabinet members have agreed to join together
in the fight against maltreatment of children in this country.
Secretary Sullivan reorganized HHS to improve child welfare and adoption
programs
We brought together representatives from all segments of society throughout
H:\EXCHANGE\CLIENTS\STEELMAN\FOSTER
SEP-18-92 FRI 17:56
P.01
every region in the country to join with us in combatting child abuse and
neglect.
We have proposed legislation to enable states to more easily spend their
federal funds on preserving families.
We have created family service centers to support the families of our head
start children.
We have increased child support payments by $3 billion.
We secured passage of the largest child care program in history
We more than doubled funding for the head start program and increased
enrollment by 73 percent.
We created a major new infant mortality initiative designed to cut in half the
rate of infant mortality in 15 of our hardest hit communities.
We developed an initiative to address the urgent needs of young minority
males.
4)
The press is attuned to the vast weaknesses in local foster care systems and has not
yet begun to assume righting these wrongs is a federal responsibility. Child welfare appears
to be one area where the press recognizes local leadership is responsible. See attached.
POSSIBLE BACKDROPS:
Presidential visit with the 5 children profiled earlier this year in made-for-TV movie and
People magazine who fought to stay together as a family in spite of being bumped from
///
foster home to foster home.
Speech to Loudoun County caseworkers and other model communities delivering effective
services, who specialize in finding previously unknown family connections for foster youths
who would otherwise be placed haphazardly around the community.
MESSAGE:
1) Every child deserves a stable home in which to learn honesty, integrity, and sciflessness.
2) Foster care can provide such a home, but too often bureaucracies lose children (1 out of
4 children in D. C's foster care system is "lost"), transfer children too frequently, and make
-111
too little effort to find the child's stabile relatives.
H:\EXCHANGE\CLIENTS\STEELMAN\FOSTER
SEP-18-92 FRI 18:15
P.01
3) Discussion of Arkansas situation.
4) Discussion of the consequences for children and our future: mental illness, criminal
behavior.
4) Agenda for the future: Provide the family experience to every American child; for a
loving, permanent family which best provides our children the protection, nurturing and
instruction they require to survive and flourish. Build around our children and families a
"family-friendly" environment -- that is best provided by genuine, vital nurturing
"communities of concern." Only such a family-friendly, community-based approach will
ensure our most precious national resource -- our children -- are awarded the priority they
deserve.
To accomplish this goal we need to:
continue to move the issue of child abuse and neglect to the forefront of the
nation's consciousness;
strengthen neighborhoods so people are connected to each other;
provide support and respite to families under stress;
teach young parents to care for and nurture their children;
provide safe, caring permanent homes for children who must be separated
from their parents; and
reorganize local programs serving children into a coherent, resilient,
encompassing web of support and services.
H:\EXCHANGE\CLIENTS\STEELMAN\FOSTER
SEP-18-92 FEI 18:16
P. 01
L.C. Foster
Children
Foster
The 107 cases are among 343
DHS is reviewing to determine
whether the children are living in
Are Missing
Children
unlicensed or crowded facilities.
Record keeping had been so bad
that for years the city had no idea
how many children were actually
Sampling of Cases
Missing
wards of the District of Columbia. An
earlier case review that found the
Shows 'Absconders'
number of active cases was about
1,600 instead of the reported 2,500.
FOSTER, From C1
That review also revealed that
- By Keith A. Harriston
Wishington Fast Scaff Writer
26 missing children, including
the city may have erroneously paid
$1 million annually to foster homes
cross-checking names with other
One of every four foster children
where children no longer lived.
city agencies. The number of ab-
is missing, and about one in 10 is in
Later yesterday, after the court
an unlicensed or crowded facility,
sconders found in the sample is of
hearing, DHS officials said a review
according to a sample of 107 cases
concern, but not unusual, officials
of the 1,625 children in foster care as
said,
reviewed by city officials over the
of July 15 showed 42 absconders-
past week.
"There is no reason to believe
only 16 more than were found in the
Those missing children-official-
that the department does not know
107 cases. The typical runaway is
ly called "absconders"-had been
where those children are," said Bev-
about 17 years old, officials said.
ordered into the custody of the Dis-
erly J. Burke, deputy corporation
When children are reported miss-
trict by a judge because of neglect
counsel. "They could be at their
or abuse, and subsequently placed
ing from a group home or a shelter.
homes. It is unfair to say that they
in group or shelter homes, city of-
DHS and the police are contacted.
are wandering the streets."
ficials said yesterday.
Any search for the individual is left
A 1991 national study by the Na-
The results of the court-ordered
to police, city officials said.
tional Association of Social Workers
review came during a hearing be-
A new computerized ward track-
fore a federal judge who last week
indicated that one out of five teen-
ing system for the foster care pro-
threatened to appoint an outsider to
agers in homeless shelters or run-
gram should be operational by Jan.
oversee foster care if the District
away youth shelters had fled from
15. That system. city officials and
didn't move quickly to implement
foster care facilities.
DHS officials also said in court
ACLU lawyers said, will go a long
changes In the system.
way toward helping DHS keep ac-
U,S. District Judge Thomas F.
yesterday that they have hired a
curate records about the number of
Hogan declined to take that step
consultant who will develop by Aug.
children in foster care and where
yesterday, citing Department of
31 a plan to place children in adop-
they are.
Human Services progress in hiring
tive homes. Currently, more than
more social workers and consul-
It also will enable the department
500 children who are wards of the
tants to help place children in adop-
District are waiting to be adopted.
to determine quickly who is getting
tive homes.
foster-care checks and how much
The review that uncovered the
But Hogan warned the city to
they are getting each month. City
have an accounting for the missing
missing children is one of a number
officials said they are recruiting
children as soon as possible.
of ongoing case reviews aimed at
more foster parents and inspecting
"It's an alarming situation, obvi-
straightening out the District's fos-
and licensing more foster homes.
ously. with children missing," Ho-
ter care program.
gan said. "Somebody's got to take
steps to find them. This is some-
thing that must be worked on as
much as possible in the immediate
future."
Lawyers for the American Civil
Liberties Union, which filed a class-
action lawsuit against the depart-
ment claiming the long-troubled
foster care system threatened the
well-being of children. said the un-
accounted-for children caused them
serious concern.
"It may be these children are run-
aways, it may be they are in the
streets. they may be in detention
centers." said Christopher Dunn. an
ACLU lawyer. "We do not believe
management in the department
knows where the children are."
Washington POST
SEP-18-92 FRI 18:18
P.01
Children in Bill Clinton's Arkansas
Department of Human Services Suit
The division of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS). of which the
Department of Children and Families (DCFS) is a part, was sued in the summer of
1991 by the Central Arkansas Legal Services and the National Center for Youth Law.
The sult alleged with official finding to back up the charge - that Arkansas, under
Clinton, has mistreated and failed to protect its foster, neglected, and abused children.
Children have died through state agency neglect, and in 1990 Clinton's own officials
reported that Arkansas children were in "imminent peril" due to "frequent and
widespread" state government failures.2
The class action suit against Clinton alleged his officials withheld health care from
abuse victims, assigned foster children to as many as 40 homes in four years, separated
families carelessly, and ignored child handicaps. Clinton's response? He convened a
panel of experts, who issued recommendations nearly Identical to similar task force
reports during the 1980s. Clinton held & special session, increased funding for the
program. and settled the lawsuit, but it now appears that the state is trying to renege
on its agreement in federal court. (Chronology page 3)
Children's Statistics
Deaths from child abuse in Arkansas have risen from five in 1987 to nine in 1988 and
to fourteen in 1989.27
The number of child abuse reports in Arkansas is up 130 percent from 6,895 in 1979
to 15,879 in 1989.28
A 1990 American Humane Association report showed the rate of child abuse in
Arkansas to be more than 35 percent higher than the national average.29
///
The Center for the Study of Social Policy, a Washington, D.C. think tank, ranks
Arkansas at or near the bottom of nearly every significant category. 45th out of 51 in
the well-being of children (down from 43rd in 1991); 45th in low-weight babies;
49th in child death rates; 47th in teen violent death rate; 45th in single teen births;
47th in children in poverty; and, 42nd in percent of children in single-parent families.30
Child Care
In 1985, Clinton said that the federal government "frankly couldn't afford" to
provide adequate day care.31 Now, as presidential candidate, Clinton has moved
decidedly to the left saying he wants to "create a child care network as complete as
the public school network. Not sure which position Clinton would take as
president? Clinton's records demonstrates a distinctly tax and spend attitude:
In March 1988, Clinton advocated that the federal government and the states form
a partnership to provide numerous child care services.
Yet in 1987, Clinton tried to tax child care by removing it from the list of services
exempt from the state sales tax, asking that it be subjected to a 2 percent tax.
HHS NEWS
Kevised
DRAFT
Carol- Research 1111/2
#224
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Larry Dye
(202) 401-9215
The Department of Health and Human Services announced today
that a record $619,683,482 has been collected for past due child
support from over 933,000 federal tax returns so far in 1992. This
represents an increase of 14 percent over last year at this time.
"Every parent owes it to his or her child to provide support,
and we should intervene vigorously wherever a parent is failing to
meet this obligation," HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., said
in citing the newlyfreleased figures. "The higher collections we
have achieved reflect the President's commitment to secure parental
support for our children."
The tax return collections are part of an estimated $7.8
billion in support payments for children to be obtained through HHS'
Child Support Enforcement program in FY 1992. This total, up from
$7. billion in 1991, aids more than 5 million children.
"Parents simply must understand the impact of non-support on
their children," Secretary Sullivan said. "We would rather see
parents voluntarily honor their responsibility to their children.
But we will continue to use any method available to us to obtain
what is rightfully owed to a child."
Since the beginning of the Federal Income Tax Refund Offset
program in 1981, over $3.9 billion has been collected. Under the
program, State Child Support Enforcement agencies report names of
- More -
POO/2004
TO DAN CASSE
09-29-92 02:37PM FROM OASPA NEWS DIV
- 2 -
NEVISE
DRAFT
#224
parents who are delinquent with their support payments and the
overdue amount to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.
These persons are notified in writing of the amount which would be
withheld to cover their child support debt and of the procedures to
contest if they believe the action is in error. Parents who have
been notified of a potential offset may have their names deleted
from the list by paying the full amount due, or at state option, by
entering into an agreement to make periodic payments.
"Child support is a message to a child. Payment of support
says you care, non-payment says you don't," said Jo Anne Barnhart,
assistant secretary for children and families. "Parents need to
realize that their child support is more than a matter of dollars
and cents, it is about the well-being and the future of their
children."
Parents whose children receive Aid to Families with Dependent
Children and have unpaid child support of $150 or more may have
their federal income tax refunds withheld. Approximately 697,000
parents in this category were affected. Through July 1992, over
$449 million was collected, an increase of nearly $70 million or 18
percent from last year's collection. These collections are used to
reimburse state/local governments for the public assistance
previously provided to the families. For non-AFDC families, an
accrued debt of $500 can activate an offset. Approximately 236,000
families in this category benefited this year and, over $169 million
was collected on their behalf, a jump of over $46 million or nearly
38 percent from the same time period last year.
- More -
P003/004
TO DAN CASSE
09-29-92 02:37PM FROM OASPA NEWS DIV
The Federal Income Tax Refund Offset Program can help identify
the location, the employer and the assets of parents not meeting
their legal and moral obligation to their children so that further
enforcement action can be taken.
For a processing cost of only $4.65 per case, the most recent
average tax offset was $718 for non-AFDC cases. The average
collection for AFDC cases was $645 per case.
###
Revised
DRAFT
# 224
P004/004
TO DAN CASSE
09-29-92 02:37PM FROM OASPA NEWS DIV
HHS Dan Casse
1991 - child support
Collxns nationwide
were at an all time
high
Smith
Varkus
THE WHITE HOUSE
Provost
WASHINGTON
September 24, 1992
Dershowity
MEMORANDUM
TO:
JOHN KELLER
KATHY SUPER
STEVE PROVOST
FROM:
GARY FOSTER
SUBJECT: SITE SURVEY FOR WISCONSIN AND NEW JERSEY
Attached are the site surveys for The President's trip to
Wisconsin and New Jersey on Wednesday, September 30. Once Kathy
has the sites "scrubbed", implementation can begin. Obviously
the theme for Wisconsin will be drawing on crime, concentrating
specifically on women and children as victims. New Jersey will
revert to a stump speech on the economy/jobs and Clinton's tax
record, wrapping that in the Florio record. We would prefer to
use the toast lectern for the New Jersey event, as we do not have
a head-on camera angle.
Also, we don't want to start New Jersey any earlier than 5 p.m.
(the later the better for them).
ATTACHMENTS
cc: Bob Zoellick
Margaret Tutwiler
David Bates
Tim McBride
David Demarest
Ede Holiday
Karen Groomes
Andrew Carpendale
Speechwriters
TEL:
Sep
23'92
10:34 No.003 P.02
September 23, 1992
MEMORANDUM TO:
GARY FOSTER
FROM:
DOUG DUVALL
SUBJECT:
SURVEY REPORT FOR NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1992
PROPOSED EVENT SCENARIO:
The President will travel from Washington, D.C. to Newark, New
Jersey on the afternoon of September 30th. Upon arrival at Newark
International Airport the President will participate in an
endorsement of the Policeman's Benevolent Association. The PBA has
a membership of approximately 1000. The event will be held in
front of Air Force One upon arrival or at the Airport Marriott.
The President would then motorcade 15 minutes to downtown Newark
where he will get an endorsement from the Heavy and General
Construction Laborers' Local 472 Union. The President would
address their members and families at their headquarters.
Following remarks, the President would motorcade back to Newark
International for his departure back to Washington.
PROPOSED EVENT SITES:
At the time of this survey, Bill Palatucci, New Jersey
Executive Director for Bush Quayle, was unable to make contact with
the leadership of the Policeman's Benevolent Association. I was
told, however, that it would not be a problem to have the event at
the airport upon arrival. Their membership is close to 1000 but
the number of people able to attend the event would likely be less.
Bill Palatucci recommended the Airport Marriott if the airport
should not be appropriate. We could also open up the arrival and
invite local Republicans to supplement the PBA.
The Heavy and General Construction Laborers' Local 472 Union
is located on the corner of Raymond Blvd. and Fillmore in Newark.
The Union has a membership of 7000 construction workers. There are
also 133 employees within the headquarters building. The Union is
located in the heart of a predominantly Portuguese neighborhood.
The President is due to be introduced on stage at 5:00 pm.
Ray Tissiere (pronounced "Tish-ear"), Business Manager, would
prefer the event be held as late as possible due to the fact that
his members work well into the afternoon. His people need time to
get off their jobs early and travel to downtown Newark for the
event. He was pleased with the 5:00 time slot, but would prefer
one even later if possible.
TEL:
Sep
23'92
10:35 No 003 P.03
The President would arrive at the main entrance of the Union
and proceed directly inside to Mr. Tissiere's office for a brief
hold. There are two conference rooms along the main hallway for
senior staff holding rooms. The President would then be escorted
downstairs to the Union Hall for the endorsement rally. Mr.
Tissiere would likely whip up the crowd and introduce former Gov.
Kean. The President would be announced into the room by Gov. Kean
from an off stage announce position behind the dais.
The Union Hall is approximately 50 feet wide and 150 feet
deep. It should hold a standing crowd of at least 2000. The press
platform could be placed at a 45 degree angle toward the stage left
side of the dais. This would block the least amount of crowd and
provide the media with a separate entrance. The ceiling in the
hall is not very high, but it should be adequate for lighting. The
filing center could be at the Union's Professional Service
Building, 66 Somme Street, a block away from the event site.
A banner for the event could read, "A Salute to the American
Worker" or "Building New Jersey's Future Today". Their official
banner which reads, "Construction Laborers Local 472", would also
give the appropriate message.
It would also recommend for the President to enter or depart
the event by going through a portion of the crowd. Mr. Tissiere
assured me that this would be an excited and supportive group.
They are hard working, blue collar, union employees who would be
wearing blue jeans and T-shirts. It would be an excellent media
opportunity for the President to walk into the crowd in front of
the press platform.
Mr. Tissiere is a Republican Eagle and has supported the
President and former Gov. Kean for years. He seems quite
cooperative and understands the nature of a presidential event. He
was recently reelected to another term as President. Due to the
time of the event, he feels confident he can turn out an
enthusiastic crowd.
Mr. Tissiere thinks this will be a great opportunity for the
President to capitalize on Clinton's labor record. Mr. Tissiere
says Clinton "has no labor record his record stinks." Mr.
Tissiere would like the event to be held later in October so he has
more time to generate the crowd.
However, Clinton will also be in New Jersey that day for a
fundraiser. While the President has visited New Jersey a number of
times in recent months, Clinton has only been to the state for
fundraising purposes. Having the labor endorsement on that date
would not only contrast the candidates' visits, but also link
Clinton with the unpopular Governor, Jim Florio. Mr. Tissiere
admits that construction jobs have not been as plentiful as they
would like, but he attributes most of that to the policies of Gov.
Florio and not President Bush.
TEL:
Sep 23'92 10:36 No.003 P.04
CONTACTS:
Bill Palatucci, Executive Director - BQ, 908/245-5005
Mary Warner, Special Events
Mr. Construction Richard Tissiere, Business Manager, Heavy and General
201/589-5050 office
Laborers' Local 472,
201/589-0582 fax
SEP 24 '92 11:05 FROM VE LLP 31 HOUSTON
PAGE. 002
September 24, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR GARY FOSTER
FROM:
PAT MIZELL
RE:
THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO FOND du LAC, WISCONSIN
SEPTEMBER 30, 1992
The President would travel to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin to meet with
families and address an audience regarding welfare reform.
Wisconsin has been able to implement a series of welfare reform
initiatives through the granting of waivers by President Bush. As
a result, Wisconsin was the only state in the nation to see its
welfare caseload drop in 1990. In the last four years, these
programs have helped some 60,000 people leave welfare for work.
The Children First program is a pilot project which allows a judge
to require a noncustodial father (dead-beat dad) to join the CWEP
(unpaid workfare) program or start to pay child support. When
faced with the prospect of working everyday for free
1)
Many of the fathers decide to take a paying position
instead and make child support payments;
2)
Many others report previously undisclosed unemployment
and start paying child support; and
3)
Some of the fathers are enrolled in training programs to
gain the skills needed to support themselves and their
families.
AS a result of this low cost initiative, child support collections
were up 145% in Racine County and 28% in Fond du Lac County in the
first six months.
Governor Thompson is prepared to announce the expansion of Children
First to seven more counties. The President's speech could offer
his vision for welfare reform and reiterate his support for
Wisconsin's effort. The President could salute the single mothers
who have successfully left the welfare rolls sand honor some
fathers who are now supporting their families. The President could
also highlight other individual Wisconsin welfare reform success
stories.
SEP 24 '92 11:05 FROM V E LLP 31 HOUSTON
PAGE. 003
PROPOSED EVENT SITE:
Fond du Lac County Veterans Memorial Park.
This is a park located across the street from the Fond du Lac
Courthouse. The park contains a natural theater, with the
courthouse as a backdrop. Opposite the courthouse are old-
fashioned main street buildings, which would provide a good cutaway
photo.
There is a tree where a head-on press platform should go, and
therefore, the press platform will need to be angled stage-right
of the President. There is a sloping grass area that would be a
suitable place for the press platform, but due to the sloping
nature of the area, a press platform will probably need to be
constructed and built into the grass, so it can be leveled. There
is a natural dais, which stands approximately 2-1/2 feet high. The
sun angle will be to the right of the President, and therefore,
outdoor lighting will be needed to take out shadows on the opposite
side of the President's face.
In the county building, there is a row of meeting rooms, H, F, and
G, which could provide an area for the President's smaller meeting
with beneficiaries of the children's first program. There are also
meeting rooms in the county building which could provide for a
press filing center.
EVENT SCENARIO:
The President would arrive at the Osh Kosh, Wisconsin Airport and
proceed via motorcade to Fond du Lac. Drive time is approximately
20 minutes. The President would arrive at the Fond du Lac City
County Government Center, and after greetings, would proceed to
meeting rooms H, F, and G (the walls are collapsible and become one
room), and begin participation in a meeting with local
beneficiaries of the Children First program. The President could
briefly address the small gathering, listen to stories regarding
the program, and take questions from the participants. This would
be a press pool coverage-only event. Upon conclusion of the
smaller meeting, the President, accompanied by the family
participants in the meeting, would walk across the street to the
Veterans Memorial Park, and be introduced onto the dais. The
President would give remarks, which should include recitals of some
of the success stories with the Children First program. Upon
conclusion of remarks, the President would proceed directly to the
motorcade for boarding and depart to the osh Kosh Airport.
-2-
Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
(George Bush Library)
Document No.
Subject/Title of Document
Date
Restriction
Class.
and Type
03. Background
Re: POTUS trip to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; peronal
09/24/92
P-6, (b)(6)
Report
telephone numbers redacted. (1 pp.)
Collection:
Record Group:
Bush Presidential Records
Office:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File, Backup
Subseries:
WHORM Cat.:
File Location:
Deadbeat Dads - Fondulac, WI 9/30/92 [3]
Date Closed:
12/9/2004
OA/ID Number:
07581
FOIA/SYS Case #:
Re-review Case #:
2004-2265-S
P-2/P-5 Review Case #:
MR Case #:
Appeal Case #:
MR Disposition:
Appeal Disposition:
Disposition Date:
Disposition Date:
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P-1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
(b)(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P-2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
(b)(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of an
P-3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P-4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
(b)(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
(b)(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P-5 Release would disclose confidential advise between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
(b)(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P-6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
(b)(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed of
(b)(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
(b)(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
SEP 24 '92 11:06 FROM VE llp 31 HOUSTON
PHGE. 004
BACKGROUND:
M. Anita Anderegg is the County Executive of Fond du Lac County.
She is the highest elected county official. She is an ardent
supporter of the President, and is the decision maker with respect
to use of the county facilities and the park. She has approved use
of the park and the county building for the event. Her office
number is (414) 929-3155; her home number is
P.6,
(b)(6)
Scott Jensen is the BQ' 92 ED. His office number is (414) 821-
1992; his home number is
I was also assisted by
Mark Block, who works on the campaign. His number is (414) 821-
1992.
P-6, P-6, (b) (6) (b)
The Fond du Lac Bush/Quayle Chairman is Al Timm. His office number
is (414) 921-9009; his home number is
p-6,(6)(6)
Please note that there are flagpoles on the rear of the natural
dais, upon which a banner could be suspended.
-3-
Fond dubac
PAGE. 005
Veterans Park
and cowthouse
Court house
Neeting Rooms
Flaggoles
Potus
x
FROM V E LLP 31 HOUSTON
Natural
Sun
Dais
Light pole
(can be removed-
approved by Andaragy)
Grassy hill
SEP 24 '92 11:06
Piens Pittm
Main St. Buildings
Trees
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 28, 1992
The President's Agenda for American Renewal:
Combatting Violent Crime
FACT SHEET
The President today proposed actions to:
Combat carjackings;
Strengthen child support enforcement;
Provide additional protection for victims of sexual and
domestic violence;
Reduce violent gang activity;
Protection for the elderly; and
Increase penalties for criminal use of firearms.
In addition, the President pressed for action on proposals
he has made in the past to:
Implement a workable death penalty provision for
especially horrible murders, such as those committed by
terrorists, assassins, and drug lords; and
Implement habeas corpus reform to short-circuit an
endless series of appeals.
Fundamental Principles
Five principles underlie the President's proposals:
A primary purpose of government is to protect citizens
and their property. Americans deserve to live in a
society in which they are safe and feel secure.
Those who commit violent criminal offenses should, and
must, be held accountable for their actions.
Our criminal justice system should seek the swift and
certain apprehension, prosecution, and incarceration of
those who break the law.
-2-
Success in accomplishing our criminal justice system
goals requires a sustained, cooperative effort by a
coalition of Federal, State, and local law enforcement
officials.
Law enforcement is a necessary foundation for economic
growth and community revitalization.
I.
Combatting Carjacking
The President proposed making "carjacking" -- the forcible
theft of a motor vehicle -- a Federal crime. Carjackers
would face sentences of up to 20 years. If the offense
involves kidnapping, attempted murder or attempted
kidnapping, or results in serious bodily injury, the
carjacker could face life imprisonment. Those convicted of
a carjacking in which a death results could be sentenced to
death.
The President proposed that the Attorney General and the
Secretary of Transportation convene an interagency task
force to study the effectiveness of anti-theft devices or
other methods of deterring or preventing carjacking. He
also proposed to permit States to use Federal law
enforcement grants for anti-carjacking programs.
II. Strengthening Child Support Enforcement
The President proposed measures to improve enforcement of
child support orders and provide legal assistance to
economically disadvantaged parents seeking to collect child
support payments. The proposal:
Makes failure to meet child support obligations, in
certain circumstances, a Federal crime. Under the
President's proposal, non-custodial parents:
--
who intentionally leave the State to avoid child
support payments, or
-- who have been delinquent for more than one year or
who owe more than $5,000 on their child support
payments for a child living in another State
could be imprisoned for up to six months. Second and
subsequent offenses would carry penalties of up to two
years in prison;
Requires States to honor child support orders entered
-3-
in other States and to enforce them as if such orders
were issued in that State;
Allows a court to require full payment of child support
obligations as a condition for probation or supervised
release from Federal prison; and
Provides legal assistance to mothers who need help
collecting child support payments. Legal organizations
receiving funding from the Legal Services Corporation
must devote not less than ten percent of their services
to assisting eligible mothers who need legal help to
collect past due child support payments.
III. Reducing Sexual and Domestic Violence
The President proposed measures to address the problems of
sexual and domestic violence, including:
A.
Increasing Penalties for Sexual Abuse
The President proposed to increase penalties for sex
crimes, by:
Authorizing the death penalty for murders
committed in the course of a sex offense;
Making a second or subsequent Federal sex offense
subject to twice the maximum penalty for a first
offense;
Increasing penalties for many sex crimes committed
against victims under the age of 16 by broadening
the definition of "sexual act" with respect to
such crimes; and
Directing the United States Sentencing Commission
to increase penalties for the most serious sexual
assault cases and for sexual offenders with the
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who knowingly
risk infecting their victims.
B.
Protecting Victims
The President proposed to strengthen protections for
crime victims by:
Making it a Federal crime to travel across state
lines to commit spousal abuse, violate a
protective order or stalk a victim;
-4-
Authorizing pretrial detention for serious sex
offense cases where prosecutors show that no other
measures can reasonably assure that the defendant
will not flee or pose a threat to the safety of
others;
Requiring HIV testing of those accused of sex
crimes and disclosure of the results-to the victim
of the crime, and authorizing HIV testing of
victims at government expense; and
Directing the Attorney General to establish a
National Task Force on Violence Against Women to
recommend measures for combatting violence against
women.
The President proposed to create new rights for sexual
assault victims and new rules of conduct for lawyers
who defend those accused of sexual violence, including:
The right to bring a civil suit against the person
who committed a Federal sexual offense;
Mandatory restitution by the defendant of the
victim's losses and expenses as a result of the
crime, expanded to include reimbursement for lost
income, child care, transportation and other
expenses due to participating in the investigation
and prosecution of the offense; and
The right for victims of sexual assaults and other
violent crimes to speak at sentencing.
The President also proposed to reform the Federal Rules
of Evidence to permit courts to admit evidence that the
defendant had committed similar acts in the past, and
to exclude evidence intended to show that the victim
invited the attack.
IV. Combatting Gang Activity
A. Creating an "Anti-Gang RICO" Law
The President's proposal creates a new Federal
offense providing severe penalties for crimes
committed by street gangs. This "Anti-Gang" RICO
law will enable Federal prosecutors to prosecute
entire criminal gangs, just as the existing
criminal RICO law has allowed the prosecution of
entire organized crime families. Anti-gang RICO
-5-
will carry tough mandatory minimum sentences,
including:
For a leadership role in any gang crime,
15 years; and
For a murder or attempted murder, 20
years, with the possibility of life imprisonment
or the death sentence.
B.
Increasing Penalties for Serious Juvenile
Offenders
These include:
Prosecuting serious juvenile offenders
as adults;
Significantly raising the penalties for
drug-related crimes near schools, near
public housing projects or involving
minors;
Creating a new RICO crime for employing a minor in
the commission of a violent crime or serious drug
trafficking offense;
Retaining for law enforcement use the
records of serious juvenile offenders;
and
Sentencing adult armed career criminals
to a mandatory minimum 15 years in
prison for a third violent or serious
offense, by fully taking into account
serious drug offenses committed by them
as juveniles.
V.
Providing Additional Protection for the Elderly
Under the President's proposal, the Sentencing Commission is
directed to ensure that the sentencing guidelines for
Federal crimes adequately take into account an elderly
victim's vulnerability and result in sentences sufficiently
severe to deter violent crime and fraud against the elderly.
VI. Combatting Criminal Use of Firearms
The President proposed to deter criminal use of firearms by
-6-
creating new Federal crimes involving firearms and steeply
increasing penalties for existing firearms offenses.
A.
Creating New Criminal Offenses
The President proposal:
Creates a new Federal crime for smuggling
firearms into the United States for criminal
purposes, punishable by up to ten years in
prison;
Creates a new Federal crime for stealing
firearms or explosives, punishable by up to ten
years in prison;
Introduces new penalties for conspiracy to
commit any Federal firearms crime; and
Broadens the offense of possessing or dealing
in stolen firearms.
B.
Stiffening Prison Sentences
The President proposed to sharply increase penalties
for criminal use of firearms, including:
Doubling the mandatory minimum penalty for using a
semiautomatic gun in any violent Federal crime
from five years to ten years, and for a second
offense of using explosives to commit a felony
from ten years to twenty years;
Requiring a five year prison term for possession
of firearms or explosives by those previously
convicted of violent felonies or serious drug
crimes;
Increasing penalties for interstate gun
trafficking, causing it to be punishable by
up to ten years in prison;
Doubling the penalties for knowingly making a
false and material statement to a licensed
firearm dealer while purchasing a firearm,
from five years to ten years;
Imposing a mandatory five year penalty for
use of firearms in counterfeiting or forgery;
and
-7-
Imposing a prison term of up to ten
years for stealing firearms or
explosives from a licensed firearm
dealer.
In addition, any Federal criminal possessing a firearm
in violation of the terms of his supervised release or
who fails to pass a mandatory drug test would be sent
back to prison.
II
102D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1241
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
AUGUST 6, (legislative day, AUGUST 5), 1992
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
AN ACT
To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide penalties
for willful refusal to pay child support, and for other
purposes.
1
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4
This Act may be cited as the "Child Support Recov-
5 ery Act of 1992".
6 SEC. 2. FAILURE TO PAY LEGAL CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGA-
7
TIONS.
8
(a) IN GENERAL.-Title 18, United States Code, is
9 amended by inserting after chapter 11 the following:
2
1
"CHAPTER 11A-CHILD SUPPORT
"Sec.
"228. Failure to pay legal child support obligations.
2 "§ 228. Failure to pay legal child support obligations
3
"(a) OFFENSE.-Whoever willfully fails to pay a past
4 due support obligation with respect to a child who resides
5 in another State shall be punished as provided in sub-
6 section (b) of this section.
7
"(b) PUNISHMENT.-The punishment for an offense
8 under this section is-
9
"(1) in the case of a first offense under this
10
section, a fine under this title or imprisonment for
11
not more than 6 months, or both; and
12
"(2) a fine under this title or imprisonment for
13
not more than 2 years, or both, in any other case.
14
"(c) RESTITUTION.-Upon a conviction under this
15 section, the court shall order restitution under section
16 3663 of this title in an amount equal to the past due sup-
17 port obligation as it exists at the time of sentencing.
18
"(d) DEFINITIONS.-As used in this section-
19
"(1) the term 'past due support obligation'
20
means any amount-
21
"(A) determined under a court order or an
22
order of an administrative process pursuant to
23
the law of a State to be due from a person for
24
the support and maintenance of a child or of a
HR 1241 RFS
3
1
child and the parent with whom the child is liv-
2
ing; and
3
"(B) that has remained unpaid for a pe-
ons
4
riod longer than one year, or is greater than
ast
5
des
$5,000; and
6
"(2) the term 'State' includes the District of
ub-
7
Columbia, and any other possession or territory of
8
the United States.".
nse
9
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.-The table of chapters
his
10 at the beginning of part I of title 18, United States Code,
for
11 is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter
12 11 the following:
"11A. Child support
228".
for
13 SEC. 3. DISCRETIONARY CONDITION OF PROBATION.
se.
14
Section 3563(b) of title 18, United States Code, is
his
15 amended-
ion
16
(1) by striking "or" at the end of paragraph
up-
17
(20);
18
(2) by redesignating paragraph (21) as para-
19
graph (22); and
on'
20
(3) by inserting after paragraph (20) the fol-
21
lowing:
an
22
"(21) comply with the terms of any court order
to
23
or order of an administrative process pursuant to
for
24
the law of a State, the District of Columbia, or any
a
25
other possession or territory of the United States,
HR 1241 RFS
4
1
requiring payments by the defendant for the support
2
and maintenance of a child or of a child and the
3
parent with whom the child is living; or".
4 SEC. 4. CRIMINAL CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT.
5
(a) AMENDMENT OF THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL
6 AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968.-Title I of the Omni-
7 bus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42
8 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended—
9
(1) by redesignating part P as part Q;
10
(2) by redesignating section 1601 as section
11
1701; and
12
(3) by inserting after part 0 the following new
13
part:
14
"PART P-CRIMINAL CHILD SUPPORT
15
ENFORCEMENT
16 "SEC. 1601. GRANT AUTHORIZATION.
17
"(a) IN GENERAL.-The Director of the Bureau of
18 Justice Assistance may make grants under this part to
19 States, for the use by States, and local entities in the
20 States to develop, implement, and enforce criminal inter-
21 state child support legislation and coordinate criminal
22 interstate child support enforcement efforts.
23
"(b) USES OF FUNDS.-Funds distributed under this
24 part shall be used to-
HR 1241 RFS
5
rt
1
"(1) develop a comprehensive assessment of ex-
le
2
isting criminal interstate child support enforcement
3
efforts, including the identification of gaps in, and
4
barriers to, the enforcement of such efforts;
)L
5
"(2) plan and implement comprehensive long-
i-
6
range strategies for criminal interstate child support
12
7
enforcement;
8
"(3) reach an agreement within the State re-
9
garding the priorities of such State in the enforce-
on
10
ment of criminal interstate child support legislation;
11
"(4) develop a plan to implement such prior-
ew
12
ities; and
13
"(5) coordinate criminal interstate child sup-
14
port enforcement efforts.
15 "SEC. 1602. STATE APPLICATIONS.
16
"(a) IN GENERAL.-(1) To request a grant under
of
17 this part, the chief executive of a State shall submit an
to
18 application to the Director in such form and containing
the
19 such information as the Director may reasonably require.
er-
20
"(2) An application under paragraph (1) shall include
nal
21 assurances that Federal funds received under this part
22 shall be used to supplement, not supplant, non-Federal
this
23 funds that would otherwise be available for activities fund-
24 ed under this part.
HR 1241 RFS
6
1
"(b) STATE OFFICE.-The office designated under
2 section 507 of title I-
3
"(1) shall prepare the application required
4
under section 1602; and
5
"(2) shall administer grant funds received
6
under this part, including, review of spending, proc-
7
essing, progress, financial reporting, technical assist-
8
ance, grant adjustments, accounting, auditing, and
9
fund disbursement.
10 "SEC. 1603. REVIEW OF STATE APPLICATIONS.
11
"(a) IN GENERAL.-The Bureau shall make a grant
12 under section 1601(a) to carry out the projects described
13 in the application submitted by an applicant under section
14 1602 upon determining that-
15
"(1) the application is consistent with the re-
16
quirements of this part; and
17
"(2) before the approval of the application, the
18
Bureau has made an affirmative finding in writing
19
that the proposed project has been reviewed in ac-
20
cordance with this part.
21
"(b) APPROVAL.-Each application submitted under
22 section 1602 shall be considered approved, in whole or in
23 part, by the Bureau not later than 45 days after first re-
24 ceived unless the Bureau informs the applicant of specific
25 reasons for disapproval.
HR 1241 RFS
7
er
1
"(c) DISAPPROVAL NOTICE AND RECONSIDER-
2 ATION.-The Bureau shall not disapprove any application
ed
3 without first affording the applicant reasonable notice and
4 an opportunity for reconsideration.
ed
5 "SEC. 1604. LOCAL APPLICATIONS.
e-
6
"(a) IN GENERAL.-(1) To request funds under this
st-
7 part from a State, the chief executive of a local entity shall
nd
8 submit an application to the office designated under sec-
9 tion 1602(b).
10
"(2) An application under paragraph (1) shall be con-
nt
11 sidered approved, in whole or in part, by the State not
ed
12 later than 45 days after such application is first received
on
13 unless the State informs the applicant in writing of spe-
14 cific reasons for disapproval.
re-
15
"(3) The State shall not disapprove any application
16 submitted to the State without first affording the appli-
he
17 cant reasonable notice and an opportunity for reconsider-
ng
18 ation.
ac-
19
"(4) If an application under paragraph (1) is ap-
20 proved, the local entity is eligible to receive the funds re-
ler
21 quested.
in
22
"(b) DISTRIBUTION TO LOCAL ENTITIES.-A State
re-
23 that receives funds under section 1601 in a fiscal year
fic
24 shall make such funds available to a local entity with an
25 approved application within 45 days after the Bureau has
HR 1241 RFS
8
1 approved the application submitted by the State and has
2 made funds available to the State. The Director may waive
3 the 45-day requirement in this section upon a finding that
4 the State is unable to satisfy the requirement of the pre-
5 ceding sentence under State statutes.
6 "SEC. 1605. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS.
7
"The Federal share of a grant made under this part
8 may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of the project
9 described in the application submitted under section
10 1602(a) for the fiscal year for which the project receives
11 assistance under this part.
12 "SEC. 1606. EVALUATION.
13
"(a) IN GENERAL.-(1) Each State and local entity
14 that receives a grant under this part shall submit to the
15 Director an evaluation not later than March 1 of each year
16 in accordance with guidelines issued by the Director and
17 in consultation with the National Institute of Justice.
18
"(2) The Director may waive the requirement speci-
19 fied in subsection (a) if the Director determines that such
20 evaluation is not warranted in the case of the State or
21 local entity involved.
22
"(b) DISTRIBUTION.-The Director shall make avail-
23 able to the public on a timely basis evaluations received
24 under subsection (a).
HR 1241 RFS
9
is
1
"(c) ADMINISTRATIVE Costs.-A State and local en-
e
2 tity may use not more than 5 percent of the funds it re-
3 ceives under this part to develop an evaluation program
4 under this section.
5 "SEC. 1607. DEFINITIONS.
6
"For purposes of this part, the term 'local entity'
7 means a child support enforcement agency, law enforce-
8 ment agency, prosecuting attorney, or unit of local govern-
n
9 ment.".
S
10
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.-The table of contents
11 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
12 Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended by strik-
13 ing the matter relating to part P and inserting the follow-
14 ing:
"PART P-CRIMINAL CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT
"Sec. 1601. Grant authorization.
"Sec. 1602. State applications.
"Sec. 1603. Review of State applications.
"Sec. 1604. Local applications.
"Sec. 1605. Distribution of funds.
"Sec. 1606. Evaluation.
"Sec. 1607. Definitions.
"PART QTRANSITION-EFFECTIVE DATE-REPEALER
"Sec. 1701. Continuation of rules, authorities, and proceedings.".
15
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-Section
16 1001(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
17 Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)) is amended—
18
(1) by redesignating the last three paragraphs
19
sequentially as paragraphs (7), (8), and (9); and
HR 1241 RFS
10
1
(2) by adding at the end the following new
2
paragraph:
3
"(10) There are authorized to be appropriated
4 $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1994, 1995, and
5 1996 to carry out projects under part P.".
Passed the House of Representatives August 4,
1992.
Attest:
DONNALD K. ANDERSON,
Clerk.
HR 1241 RFS
S14094
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE
September 18, 1992
There being no objection, the Senate
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
"(1) in the case of a first offense under this
proceeded to consider the bill.
question 18 on agreeing to the amend-
section, a fine under this title, imprisonment
ment
for not more than 6 months, or both; and
AMENDMENT NO. 3087
The amendment (No. 3087) was agreed
"(2) in any other case, a fine under this
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I send an
title, imprisonment for not more than 2
to.
amendment to the desk for Mr. Mitch-
years, or both.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
ell, and ask for its immediate consider-
"(c) RESTITUTION.-Upon a conviction
question 18 on the engrossment of the
ation.
under this section, the court shall order res-
amendment and third reading of the
titution under section 3663 in an amount
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
bill.
equal to the past due support obligation as it
clerk will report.
The amendment was ordered to be
exists at the time of sentencing.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
engrossed and the bill to be read a
"(d) DEFINITIONS.-As used in this section-
The Senator from Eentucky [Mr. FORD.].
third time.
"(1) the term 'past due support obligation'
for Mr. MITCHELL, proposes an amendment
The bill was read a third time.
means any amount-
numbered 3087.
"(A) determined under & court order or an
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill
order of an administrative process pursuant
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I ask unan-
having been read the third time, the
to the law of B State to be due from a person
imous consent that the reading of the
question is, Shall the bill pass?
for the support and maintenance of a child or
amendment be dispensed with.
So the bill (H.R. 4016), as amended,
of & child and the parent with whom the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
was passed.
child is living: and
objection, it is 80 ordered.
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I move to
"(B) that has remained unpaid for & period
The amendment 18 as follows:
reconsider the vote by which the bill
longer than 180 days, or is greater than
$2,500; and
On page 4, strike lines 9-12 and insert in
was passed.
"(2) the term 'State' includes the District
lieu thereof the following:
Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that mo-
of Columbia, and any other possession or ter-
"(4) IDENTIFICATION OF UNCONTAMINATED
tion on the table.
ritory of the United States.".
PROPERTY.-(A) In the case of real property
The motion to lay on the table was
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.-The part anal-
owned by the United States that: (1) is or has
agreed to.
ysis for part I of title 18, United States Code,
been used as a military installation and on
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I ask unan-
is amended by inserting after the item relat-
which the United States plans to or has ter-
imous consent that the Senate insist
ing to chapter 11 the following new item:
minated military operations, pursuant to a
base closure law, including The Defense Base
on its amendment, request a con-
"11A. Child support
228".
Closure and Realignment Act of 1930 (10
ference with the House on the disagree-
SEC. G. DISCRETIONARY CONDITION OF PEORA-
U.S.C. 2687 note), Title II of the Defense Au-
ing votes of the two Houses and that
TION.
thorization Amendments and Base Closure
the Chair be authorized to appoint con-
Section 3563(b) of title 18, United States
and Realignment Act (10 U.S.C. 2087 nots),
ferees.
Code, is amended-
Section 2587 of title 10, United States Code,
There being no objection, the Presid-
(1) by striking "or" at the end of paragraph
or any provision of law authorizing the clo-
ing Officer [Mr. AKAKA] appointed Mr.
(20);
sure or realignment of a military installa-
MOYNIHAN, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. LAUTEN-
(2) by redesignating paragraph (21) as para-
tion enacted on or after the date of enact-
graph (22); and
BERG, Mr. CHAFEE, and Mr. WARNER
ment of this Act; or (11) is not used as a mill-
(3) by inserting after paragraph (20) the fol-
tary installation and on which the United
conferees on the part of the Senate.
lowing new paragraph:
States plans to terminated Federal govern-
"(21) comply with the terms of any court
ment operations, other than military oper-
order or order of an administrative process
CHILD SUPPORT RECOVERY ACT
ations,"
pursuant to the law of 8 State, the District
On page 6, following lines 6 add "or" and
OF 1992
of Columbia, or any other possession or ter-
the following new clause:
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I ask unan-
ritory of the United States, requiring pay-
"(viii) & completed preliminary assessment
imous consent that the Senate proceed
ments by the defendant for the support and
and site investigation if such document pro-
maintenance of a child or of a child and the
to the immediate consideration of Cal-
vides information equivalent to that which
parent with whom the child is living; or".
endar No. 678, S. 1002, a bill to impose
would be included in clauses (l-vii)."
a criminal penalty for flight to avoid
SEC. 4. COMMISSION ON CHILD AND FAMILY WEE-
On page 6, strike lines 20 and insert in lieu
FARE
thereof:
payment of arrearages in child support;
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.-There is established &
"(C) In the case of property on which the
that the committee-reported substitute
commission to be known 23 the Commission
United States is terminating military oper-
amendment be deemed agreed to; that
on Child and Family Welfare (referred to in
ations as described in paragraph (A) identi-
any statements with respect to this
this section as the "Commission").
fication and concurrence required under sub-
bill appear at this point in the RECORD;
(b) MEMBERSHIP.-
paragraphs (A) and (B) shall be made 18
that the bill be read for the third time
(1) COMPOSITION.-The Commission shall be
months after the military installation is se-
and passed; and that the motion to re-
composed of 15 members of whom-
lected for closure pursuant to a base closure
consider be laid upon the table.
(A) 5 shall be appointed by the President,
law or 80 days after the Environmental Pro-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
in consultation with the Attorney General
tection Agency approves a remedial inves-
and the Secretary of Health and Human
objection, it 18 80 ordered.
tigation/feasibility study, whichever is later.
Services;
So the committee substitute amend-
In all other cases the identification and con-
(B) S shall be appointed by the President
currence required".
ment was deemed agreed to, as follows:
pro tempore of the Senate;
On page 7, add the following new sentence
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
(C) 2 shall be appointed by the minority
at the of line 4:
This Act may be cited as the "Child Sup-
leader of the Senate:
"The head of the department. agency, or
port Recovery Act of 1992".
(D) 3 shall be appointed by the Speaker of
instrumentality of the United States, may
SEC. 2. FAILURE TO PAY LEGAL CHILD SUPPORT
the House of Representatives; and
sell or otherwise transfer any parcel of real
OBLIGATIONS.
(E) 2 shall be appointed by the minority
property identified under subperagraph (A)
(a) IN GENERAL-Title 18, United States
leader of the House of Representatives.
180 days after submitting a request for con-
Code, is amended by inserting after chapter
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.-Members of the Com-
currence under subparagraph (B)."
11 the following new chapter:
mission shall be-
On page 7, following line 20, insert the fol-
"CHAPTER 11A-CHILD SUPPORT
(A) persons who have expertise in family
lowing:
"Sec.
law, children's issues, mental health. and re-
"228. Failure to pay legal child support obli-
lated policies;
"(E) The head of the department, agency,
or instrumentality of the United States with
gations.
(B) persons who have expertise, through ro-
jurisdiction over the real property subject to
search and practice, in laws and policies re-
"1223. Failure to pay legal child support obli-
lated to child and family welfare;
this subsection may sell, lease, or otherwise
getions
(C) persons who represent organizations
transfer any right, title, or interest to the
"(a) OFFENSE-Whoever willfully fails to
that seek to protect the civil rights of chil-
real property identified under subparagraph
pay a past due support obligation with re-
dren;
(A) without regard to whether the real prop-
spect to a child who resides in another State
(D) persons who represent advocacy groups
erty is or has been listed as a site on the Na-
shall be punished as provided in subsection
that work for the interests of children:
tional Priorities List."
(b).
(E) persons who represent advocacy groups
On page 7, line 21, strike "(E)" and insert
"(b) PUNISHMENT.-The punishment for an
that work for the interests of both custodial
in lieu thereof: "(F)".
offense under this section is-
and noncustodial parents; and
September 18, 1992
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE
S14095
(F) persons who have conducted extensive
(1) POSTAL SERVICES.-The Commission
So the bill (S. 1002), as amended, was
research on, or delivered services to, chil-
may use the United States mails in the same
deemed read the third time and passed.
dran adversely affected by divorce.
manner and under the same conditions as
(3) DATE.-The appointments of the mem-
other departments and agencies of the Fed-
bers of the Commission shall be made no
eral Government
later than June 1, 1993.
(m) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.-Each
BIOTECHNOLOGY PATENT
(c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT, VACANCIES.-
member of the Commission who is not an of-
PROTECTION ACT
Members shall be appointed for the life of
ficer or employee of the Federal Government
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, Iask unan-
the Commission. Any vacancy in the Com-
shall be compensated at a rate equal to the
mission shall not affect its powers, but shall
imous consent that the Senate proceed
daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic
be filled in the same manner as the original
to the immediate consideration of Cal-
pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive
appointment.
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United
endar No. 421, S. 654, a bill to amend
(d) INITIAL MEETING.-No later than 30 days
States Code, for each day (including travel
title 35, United States Code, with re-
after the date on which all members of the
time) during which such member is engaged
spect to patents on certain biological
Commission have been appointed. the Com-
in the performance of the duties of the Com-
processes.
mission shall hold its first meeting.
mission. All members of the Commission
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
(e) MEETINGS.-The Commission shall meet
who are officers or employees of the United
clerk will report.
at the call of the Chairman.
States shall serve without compensation in
The legislative clerk read as follows:
(f) QUORUM.-A majority of the members of
addition to that received for their services as
the Commission shall constitute a quorum,
A bill (S. 654) to amend title 35, United
officers or employees of the United States.
but a lesser number of members may hold
States Code, with respect to patents on cer-
(n) TRAVEL EXPENSES.-The members of
hearings.
tain processes.
the Commission shall be allowed travel ex-
(g) CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN.-The
penses, including per diem in lieu of subsist-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is thore
Commission shall select a Chairman and
ence, at rates authorized for employees of
objection to the immediate consider-
Vice Chairman from among its members.
agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of
ation of the bill?
(h) DUTIES.-The Commission shall-
title 5, United States Code, while away from
There being no objection, the Senate
(1) compile information and data on the is-
their homes or regular places of business in
sues that affect the best interests of chil-
proceeded to consider the bill, which
the performance of services for the Commis-
dren. including domestic issues such as
had been reported from the Committee
sion.
abuse, family relations, services and agen-
on the Judiciary, with an amendment
(o) STAFF.-
cies for children and families. family courts
(1) IN GENERAL-The Chairman of the Com-
to strike all after the enacting clause
and juvenils courts;
mission may, without regard to the civil
and inserting in lieu thereof the follow-
(2) compile a report that lists the strengths
service laws and regulations, appoint and
ing:
and weaknesses of the child weifare system
terminate an executive director and such
SECTION 1. CONDITIONS FOR PATENTABILITY;
as it relates to placement (including child
other additional personnel as may be nec-
NON-OBVIOUS SUBJECT MATTER
custody and visitation), summarizes State
essary to enable the Commission to perform
Section 103 of title 35, United States Code,
laws and regulations relating to visitation,
its duties. The employment of an executive
is amended-
and makes recommendations for changing
the system or developing a Federal role in
director shall be subject to confirmation by
(1) in the first unnumbersd paragraph by
the Commission.
inserting "(a)" before "A patent";
strengthening the system:
(3) study the strengths and weaknesses of
(2) COMPENSATION.-The Chairman of the
(2) in the second numbered paragraph by
Commission may fix the compensation of the
inserting "(b)" before "Subject matter"; and
the juvenile and family courts as they relate
executive director and other personnel with-
(3) by adding at the end thereof the follow-
to visitation, custody, and child support en-
out regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and.
ing new subsection:
forcement and suggest any recommendations
"(0) Notwithstanding any other provision
for changing these systems; and
subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5. United
(4) study domestic issues that relate to the
States Code, relating to classification of po-
of this section, a claimed process of making
treatment and placement of children (such
sitions and General Schedule pay rates, ex-
or using a machine, manufacture, or com-
as child and spousal abuse) and suggest rec-
cept that the rate of pay for the executive di-
position of matter is not obvious under this
rector and other personnel may not exceed
section if-
ommendations for any needed changes, in-
cluding models for mediation and other pro-
the rate payable for level V of the Executive
"(1) the machine, manufacture, or com-
Schedule under section 5316 of that title.
position of matter is novel under section 102
grams.
(1) REPORT.-Not later than January 1,
(p) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.-
of this title and nonobvious under this 800-
Any Federal Government employee may be
tion; and
1994, the Commission shall submit to the
detailed to the Commission without reim-
"(2)(A) the machine, manufacture, or com-
President and the Congress an interim re-
port. and not later than January 1, 1995, a
bursement, and such detail shall be without
position of matter, and the claimed process
final report, which shall contain a detailed
interruption or loss of civil service status or
invention at the time it was made, were
privilage.
owned by the same person or subject to an
statement of the findings and conclusions of
the Commission. together with its rec-
(q) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND
obligation of assignment to the same person;
INTERMITTENT SERVICES.-The Chairman of
and
ommendations for such legislation and ad-
the Commission may procure tamporary and
"(B) claims to the process and to the ma-
ministrative actions as it considers to be ap-
propriate.
intermittent services under section 3109(b) of
chine, manufacture, or composition of mat-
(j) HEARINGS.-
title 5, United States Code, at rates for indi-
ter, are entitled to the same effective filing
viduals which do not exceed the daily equiva-
date, and appear in the same patent or in dif-
(1) IN GENERAL.Subject to paragraph (2),
lent of the annual rate of basic pay pre-
ferent patents which are owned by the same
the Commission may hold such hearings, sit
scribed for level V of the Executive Schedule
person and are set to expire on the same
and act at such times and places, take such
under section 5316 of that title.
date.".
testimony, and receive such evidence as the
Commission considers advisable to carry out
(r) TERMINATION OF THE COMMISSION.-(1)
EEC. 1 PRESUMPTION OF VALIDITY.
the purposes of this section.
The Commission shall terminate 90 days
The first unnumbered paragraph of section
(2) BROAD PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.-The
after the date on which the Commission sub-
282 of title-35, United States Code, is amend-
Commission shall conduct hearings in var-
mits its final report under subsection (1).
ed by inserting after the second sentence "A
ious areas of the country, from the inner
(2) Any funds held by the Commission on
claim issued under the provisions of section
cities to the suburbs to rural areas, to gather
the date of termination of the Commission
103(c) of this title on 8 process of making or
a broad spectrum of information on the is-
shall be deposited in the general fund of the
using a machine, manufacture, or composi-
sues to be addressed. Parents, children, ex-
Treasury of the United States and credited
tion of matter shall not be held invalid under
perts, religious leaders, and public and pri-
as miscellaneous receipts. Any property
section 103. of this title solely because the
vate agency officials shall be afforded the op-
(other than funds) held by the Commission
machine, manufacture, or composition of
portunity to give testimony at such hear-
on that date shall be disposed of as excess or
matter is determined to lack novelty under
ings.
surplus property.
section 102 of this title or to be obvicus
(k) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGEN-
(8) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
under section 103 of this title.".
CIES.-The Commission may secure directly
(1) IN GENERAL.-There are authorized to be
SEC. & EFFECTIVE DATE
from any Federal department or agency such
appropriated to the Commission for fiscal
The amendments made by this Act shall
information as the Commission considers
years 1993 and 1994 such sums as are nec-
apply to all United States patents granted
necessary to carry out the provisions of this
essary to carry out this section.
on or after the date of the enactment of the
Act. Upon request of the Chairman of the
(2) AVAILABILITY.-Any sums appropriated
Act and to all applications for United States
Commission, the head of such department or
under the authorization contained in this
patents pending on or filed after date of
agency shall furnish such information to the
subsection shall remain available, without
enactment, including any application for the
Commission.
fiscal year limitation, until expended.
reissuance of 8 patent.
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:06 No.001 P.01
To: Carol AARhus
FRom: maney for
DAVid Tell
Date: 9-29-92
Re: Welfare
TEL:
Sep 29'92
11:06 No. 001 P.02
v5189 X P 3aHec Ad Watch-Clinton
dumn/ails
09-09 12:18p
Details of Welfare Reform Ad
WASHINGTON (AP) - Here are details of Democratic presidential
candidate Bill Clinton's campaign ad calling for changes in the
nation's welfare system.
Title: "Second Chance-D."
Time: 30 seconds.
Creator: Clinton ad team headed by Frank Greer.
Text (Clinton) : "I have a plan to end welfare as we know it -
CO break the cycle of welfare dependency. We'll provide education,
job training and child care, but then those who are able must go to
work, either in the private sector or in public service. I know it
can work. In my state, we've moved 17,000 people from welfare rolls
to payrolls. It's time to make welfare what it should be - a second
chance, not a way of life."
Key images: Clinton facing camera. Promises of improvement under
Ilinton's plan periodically appear in writing on the screen: "End
welfare as we know it," "Provide education, training and child
bare" and "Those who are able must go to work.
Goals: Seeks to reinforce Clinton's image as a moderate and
presmpt Republican efforts to portray him as part of the Democratic
Party's traditional liberal base. Attempts to cast Clinton as an
innovative and experienced governor who has successfully coped with
the welfare issue.
Analysis: The claim that 17,000 people have moved "from welfare
colls to payrolls" comes from the Arkansas Department of Human
Services. The department says it represents individuals who have
noved off food stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent Children
and into jobs.
TEL:
Sep 29'92
11:07 No.001 P.03
G0005 1" P polar AR-Clinton-Ad-Figures, Ark Bjt, 660
09-09 3:53p
A Look At Clinton's Welfare Claim
19.6 Inches
862-0590
rfjwstffonfls
An AP News Analysis
By RON FOURNIER
Associated Press Writer
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Bill clinton's new ad says Arkansas moved
17,000 people from welfare to jobs, and his campaign said Wednesday
that he cut welfare rolls in Arkansas.
The statements are not patently false, but Clinton and his
presidential campaign failed to mention some important points that
show Arkansas' welfare reform might not always live up to its name:
Project Success.
Clinton, a leader in the welfare reform effort nationally since
1988, began Project Success in his own state in 1989. The
work-training program is designed to get jobs for people on food
stamps and Aid to Families with Dependent children, then move them
off the programs.
His campaign released a one-page Department of Human Services
summary of the program to support the 17,000 figure. According to
DHS, 17,277 AFDC and food stamp recipients moved into jobs and off
welfare under Project Success since July 1989.
Jerry Evans, who compiled the summary for DHS, said the list
does not double-count recipients. If a person moved off of AFDC and
food stamps under the program, they were counted only once, he
said.
But Evans said the agency has no way of knowing how many of the
17,277 people returned to welfare after getting jobs, "We're
working on a computer system that would allow us to track the
recipients, 30 he said Wednesday.
Technically, a recipient could be counted as one of the 17,277
success stories but could be back on the public dole now, he said.
He said the agency also does not know how many people have been
in Project Success since 1989. "We can't tell you right now what
percentage of people in the program have been successfully moved, ##
he said.
The ad, which is running in 10 states, fails to mention that the
food stamp and AFDC rolls have drown since Project Success was
started.
DHS figures show that there were 23,793 AFDC cases in September
1989, and there were 26,236 cases in July 1992.
The food stamp caseload grew from 81,793 cases in September 1989
to 103,027 in July 1992, figures show.
"Project Success has helped. Has it solved the problem? or
course not, BP said Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos.
He said Clinton has successfully moved people off of welfare
rolls while President Bush has ignored the problem.
Clinton led a major effort by the nation's governors in 1988 to
restructure the nation's welfare laws. The result was the Family
Support Act of 1988 which required welfare recipients to move
toward independence through education, training and work. The act
was based on a proposal adopted by the National Governor's
Association in 1987, when Clinton chaired the group.
A statement released by the campaign blames Bush for increased
poverty rates, higher welfare rolls and fewer jobs nationally.
The statement also says Clinton "cut welfare rolls" in
Arkansas. Stephanopoulos said campaign records show welfare rolls
have dropped 14 percent in Arkansas since 1979, Clinton's first
TEL:
Sep 29'92 11:08 No.001 P.04
year in office.
stephanopoulos apparently was referring to the AFDC program. The
program shrank from 29,321 AFDC cases 1979 to 26,236 cases in July
1992, according to DHS.
But the campaign failed to mention that the Medicaid and food
stamp rolls have ballooned under Clinton.
According to DHS, there were 73,254 food stamp cases in June
1979, compared to 103,027 in July 1992. DHS says there were 258,705
people eligible for Medicaid in the 1979 fiscal year, compared to
369,926 in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
Kenny Whitlock, director of the DHS division that oversees the
programs, said Arkansas' programs have grown slower than the
national average.
"We're still better off than most states," he said.
TEL:
Sep 29'92
11:08 No 001 05
BACKGROUNDER
BUSH
****
QUAYLE
Research Office
92
Clinton's Welfare Reform Record
Though Bill Clinton campaigns as a crusading welfare reform innovator, and promises
to "end welfare as we know it," his actual platform calls for nothing beyond what Federal law
already requires. He has said different things to different audiences on what is a central ques-
tion in the welfare reform debate -- presidential waivers to permit further state-level experi-
mentation, as pioneered by President Bush. And he has made grand, false claims about the in-
effective Arkansas welfare program he supervises - using statistics from a predecessor pro-
gram actually established by Republican Governor Frank White. After Clinton's 12 years in
office, Arkansas now suffers a state welfare bureaucracy whose administrative costs have bal-
looned by 3,000 percent since 1983, and poverty that places the state at or near the bottom of
the country in nearly every meaningful category.
Hollow Promises
On the presidential campaign trail, Clinton makes sweeping promises of radical welfare re-
form: "My national economic strategy will strengthen families and empower all Ameri-
cans to work. It will break the cycle of dependency and end welfare as we know it."
Specifically, Clinton claims he would provide current welfare recipients with up to two
years of education, job training, and child care, after which "those who can work will have
to go to work" in the private sector or in guaranteed public service jobs -- or lose their
benefits ("Putting People First: A National Economic Strategy").
But Joe Klein, writing in New York magazine ("Profile in What?" 3/16/92), cites no less an
authority than Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan to the effect that everything Clinton pro-
poses on welfare has already been written into Federal law by the Family Support Act of
1988 - a law Clinton helped draft and lobbied for as a representative of the National Gov-
ernors Association.
Campaigning by Applause Meter
Clinton has been evasive on what is currently the nation's central welfare reform question:
presidential waivers to permit additional state experimentation.
Clinton has had two contradictory opinions this year about the New Jersey law denying
additional welfare payments to mothers who have more children. During the New Hamp-
shire primary campaign (WMUR-TV debate, 1/19/92), he opposed the law: "I would not
sign that bill. What I would do is make welfare reform work. I would spend more money
on education and training for these mothers. I agree with Senator Kerrey, give them health
care. Make sure they have child care. Require them to go to work when they can, and if,
after the education program is completed and they haven't gone to work after a certain
amount of time, provide public service employment
There's no point in hurting the
kids, What you want to do is liberate the mothers."
Paid for by Bush Quayle '92 Primary Committee, Inc.
1030 15th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
TEL:
Sep
29'92
11:09 No 001 P.06
2
Speaking in New Jersey several months later, however, Clinton said "There are some very
good things" in the state's new law. "If New Jersey passes a package of laws that requires
a waiver from existing Federal welfare statutes to implement the whole package, I would
be inclined to give the state R waiver to implement that. Because I like a lot of the other
things in the package, and because it is true that the average working family doesn't get an
increase in income when they have an increased number of kids." Also during this appear-
ance, Clinton compared California's proposed welfare revisions unfavorably to New Jer-
sey's and strongly implied he would not approve California's waiver (New York Times,
5/23/92)
Failure in Arkansas: Project Success
Of Clinton's pledge to "end welfare as we know it," U.S. News and World Report
(4/20/92) says "judging from his record, such promises should be taken with more than a
grain of salt." The magazine labels Clinton's welfare platform "unconvincing," and re-
ports that his Arkansas programs "aren't as great as he claims."
Clinton has claimed great things about "Project Success," passed in 1987 as his state's
version of legislation required by the Family Support Act. All able-bodied Arkansas wel-
fare recipients are required to participate in the program unless they have a child under a
year old (Federal law permits exemptions for mothers with children 3 and under). Recipi-
ents who refuse to participate lose their benefits. Participants theoretically receive transi-
tional education, job skills training, day care, transportation, and Medicaid health care
services. Those deemed qualified for the job market are required to look for work and
document their contacts.
At the National Rainbow Coalition forum on January 25 this year, Clinton claimed that
Project Success "has been evaluated by the Manpower Demonstration Research [Corp.] as
one of the three or four best programs in the United States, not because it is oppressing the
poor, kicking the poor around, but because it is instrumental in liberating the poor." In
fact, MDRC has never reviewed Project Success -- nor has any other independent group or
agency.
MDRC did perform an evaluation of the Arkansas WORK program, an 8-county demon-
stration project begun in 1982 by Clinton's predecessor, Republican Governor Frank
White. Clinton expanded the WORK program statewide in 1985, and used it as the model
for his own 1987 proposals. The MDRC study tracked 1,100 AFDC recipients during
WORK's pilot stage, and found that after 9 months, only 3 percent of enrollees had tried a
workfare job. After three years, MDRC found that welfare rolls had been reduced by just
7 percentage points in the experimental group and that the proportion of recipients who had
ever worked was boosted by just 5 percentage points (U.S. News and World Report,
4/20/92).
State officials report that since Project Success was formally inaugurated in July 1989, Ar-
kansas's total welfare caseload has increased - 10 percent by August 1991, and 12 percent
by this April. Analysts from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the agency
TEL:
Sep
29'92
11:09 No. 001 P.07
3
that will formally evaluate Project Success, say they cannot yet determine how well the
program is functioning from available statistics. Official results have not been released
(Arkansas Gazette, 6/24/91; U.S. News and World Report, 4/20/92).
State officials also report that funding shortages make the program's enrollment require-
ments largely toothless. In March 1992, only 4,092 of Arkansas's 26,858 AFDC families
were "active" in Project Success (U.S. News and World Report, 4/20/92).
And despite Clinton's claim that welfare reform works if you "apply sanctions to enforce
it," Arkansas's sanctions are, as Clinton employees acknowledge, also toothless. In 1991,
the state dropped an average of just 203 cases a month (less than 1 percent of all those on
AFDC), numbers which are already inflated because new welfare families replace those
who leave the rolls. Actual monthly benefits cutbacks come to just $30 or $40 dollars, and
when asked if such a sanction is sufficient to encourage compliance with the program, one
Arkansas official admits: "probably not" (U.S. News and World Report, 4/20/92).
Arkansas: Still Poor and Mismanaged After All These Years
Despite a major, Clinton-engineered reorganization at the Arkansas Department of Human
Services, the state's largest agency and the one responsible for welfare, administrative
costs have grown by more than 3,000 percent since 1983 (state budgets, 1983 and 1991).
Clinton's frequent mid-year budget problems were once so severe that he publicly resisted
Federally-imposed tax changes designed to relieve the poor. In 1986, a new Federal law
prohibited Arkansas (and any other state) from charging a sales tax on items bought with
food stamps. The law required that this regressive and punitive practice be abolished in
Arkansas's next legislative session, no later than October 1987. Clinton initially cancelled
an otherwise planned special legislative session specifically to avoid losing revenue from
the food stamp tax. He then decided to go ahead with the special session - but only after
his lawyer found a loophole in the federal statute through which only a regular session (not
specials) would trigger the exemption requirement.
On April 14, 1987 - 2,190 days after he became governor - Clinton finally exempted
food stamps from his sales tax and complied with Federal law. But the bill he signed made
clear that the change was to take effect on the last possible day: October 1. And it also
included an automatic revocation if Federal law should change: "The tax exemption pro-
vided by section 11 of this Act shall expire if the exemption becomes no longer required
for full participation in the food stamp program and the Special Supplemental Food Pro-
gram for Women, Infants and Children" (Pine Bluff Commercial, 2/8/86; Arkansas Demo-
crat, 2/7/86; Arkansas Gazette, 4/11/86; Arkansas Act 1033, approved 4/14/87).
Nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans lives in poverty. A full 19.8 percent of all Arkansas residents live
below the poverty line are up from 19 percent in 1980, and one of the four worst state aver-
ages in the country (Arkansas Gazette, 9/20/91 and U.S. Bureau of the Census). The Ar-
kansas Gazette (9/22/91) cites a 1991 study finding that more than half the state's black
residents -- 53 percent -- live in poverty.
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Welfare
Campaign Platform
Clinton cites his welfare reform expertise in his presidential campaign, but until
Vice President Quayle began criticizing the lack of family values promoted by
Democrats and liberal media, it had not been a centerpiece of rhetoric or platform.
During a May 21, 1992 speech, Clinton criticized both President Bush and the
Democrats while proposing a family policy that he said goes beyond the inadequate
responses of the Republican and the Democratic parties. "Family values' can't simply
be a Washington code word for Beltway Republicans who really mean 'You're on your
own' - or Beltway Democrats who want to spend more of your tax money on
programs that don't embody your values. If family values are going to mean
something, we must offer a third way."1 Clinton presented himself as a public official
who has "worked on family issues harder, longer, than anyone else running for
president. Clinton's proposals for family values include:3
Rewarding work and family by expanding the earned income tax credit to guarantee
a working wage to lift above the poverty line anyone with a family who's working
full time.
Creating a system of training and vouchers for daycare and medical coverage for
children so that families can return to the dignity of a job.
Cracking down on deadbeat parents with national child support enforcement.
Passing the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Fully funding Head Start.
Creating a full sense of personal responsibility and concern for the consequences of
behavior.
Quayle apparently forced Clinton's return to the "personal responsibility" theme
(a favorite since 1986) in his May speech. During the January 19, 1991 WMUR-TV
debate in New Hampshire, Clinton said he would not sign legislation similar to the
recently signed New Jersey law denying additional welfare payments to non-working
mothers who have more children. In May 1992, however, Clinton flip-flopped on the
New Jersey law when he gave tacit approval. "I have mixed feelings about the New
Jersey thing," said Clinton. "I don't want to hurt children. On the other hand, people
in the workforce don't get more money when they have extra babies."4 According to
Clinton, as president, he would sign a federal waiver allowing the state to impose the
law, primarily because he supports the more positive, less controversial segments that
encourage welfare recipients to earn and save money. Said Clinton, "I have mixed
feelings about it, but I'd give them the chance to try it."s Until Quayle, however,
welfare reform was not a subject Clinton mentioned much on the stump unless pushed.
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When questioned, Clinton refers to Project Success, Arkansas' version of the 1988
Family Support Act, which Clinton played a part in drafting. Project Success is one of
the tools Clinton has used to revamp welfare in Arkansas. On the campaign trail,
Clinton says he would "put an end to welfare" with 2 two-year lid on benefits. Simply
put, he would give the needy all the Project Success-type training they need, along with
the responsibility to get and keep a job or perform public service.6
Project Success
In February 1986, Clinton praised three success stories of his state's
experimental Work Program, in which welfare recipients in Arkansas learn how to look
for a job in exchange for their welfare benefits. Clinton and Human Service officials
praised the Work Program, saying it had cut Aid to Families with Dependent Children
(AFDC) expenditures by $1.7 million a year, reduced the number of cases by 5.8
percent, and since its inception in October 1982, assisted more than 3,700 participants
in gaining full-time employment. The focus of the program was to move welfare
recipients into the work force. In an effort to lessen the disincentive for welfare
recipients to get jobs from fear of losing health insurance, Clinton asked the federal
Health Care Financing Administration, which oversees the Medicaid program, to
extend Medicaid coverage for an additional five months for those program participants
who lose AFDC eligibility because of employment.7
In December 1986, Clinton announced he would present a comprehensive
welfare-reform bill during the 1987 state legislative session. Based almost exclusively
on the National Governor's Association (NGA) welfare-reform bill, and the Work
Program already in place, Clinton said the bill would require all people receiving
public assistance to participate in educational and job-training programs that would
make them more qualified and effective as parents and employees. The bill also
required fathers, when they're in the home, to "take a job, be available to take a job or
be available for public service work," Clinton said.ᵃ
Project Success, Clinton's 1987 proposal, is Arkansas' version of the welfare-
reform programs required by the federal Family Support Act of 1988. Clinton, then
NGA chairman, was a major proponent of federal welfare reform. In Arkansas, all
able-bodied welfare recipients are required to enter the program unless they have a
child younger than 1 year old. The state's standards for participation are tougher than
those required under the federal act, which allows exemptions for mothers with
children age 3 and under. Welfare recipients who refuse to participate are penalized by
a cutoff of benefits.
Project Success allows participation in any of several components: education
classes, including literacy courses or adult education classes aimed at a high school
equivalency degree or more advanced schooling; job training, including classes at
vocational-technical schools or private career colleges; a work experience program
where participants receive state jobs to help them learn a skill; and a "job club," where
participants learn job-hunting skills such as filling out applications, writing resumes and
getting through a job interview. Participants deemed educated or skilled enough to be
in the job market are required to look for work and document their job contacts. 10
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Effectiveness
Despite Clinton's hyping of the results of Project Success, it has come under
some criticism. In speeches, Clinton cites some impressive statistics, saying 200 to 300
people each month are taking jobs and leaving the welfare roles after going through
Project Success. In fall 1990, some legislators were openly skeptical of the idea of
hundreds of welfare recipients moving through the program an into permanent jobs
each month. An analyst from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, an
agency that will analyze Project Success, said he could not tell how the program is
doing from available statistics. 11
State records do show that in March 1991, 275 welfare cases and 357 food
stamp cases were closed out for Project Success participants who got jobs. But the
DHS cannot supply statistics on how many participants end up back on the rolls for
AFDC after short periods as wage earners. The numbers also show that, despite
Project Success, the state's total welfare caseload has increased since the program
began in July 1989.12
To blunt the criticism regarding how many participants returned to AFDC rolls
after short periods as wage-earners, the DHS randomly selected 437 of the 4,364
AFDC participants who moved off welfare in 1990. DHS reported that 72 percent of
those participants were still employed in August 1991. Department officials reported
the program saved more than $11 million in payments from AFDC, food stamps, and
Medicaid in 1990. Most Project Success graduates found jobs in factories, and the
overall average starting salary was $4.25 an hour.¹³ "We're not taking people off the
welfare rolls as fast as they're getting on, but this [Project Success] is putting a dent
into it," said DHS Director Dr. Terry Yamauchi.14 Despite these claims, AFDC
recipients increased from 24,000 in July 1989, to 26,400 in August 1991, a 10 percent
increase. But Arkansas is below the national average, which shows an 18 percent
increase between July 1989 and April 1991. 15
Recipients unwilling to follow DHS guidelines lose their welfare benefits. DHS
statistics show that for every 100 people in Project Success who get a job, between 50
and 75 lose their benefits. However, benefits are revoked only for those in the
program. Children still receive benefits. In 1991, the average AFDC payment was
$193.62 a month. Food stamp payments average about $167 a month. 16
National Governors Association
In 1986, as chairman-elect of the National Governors Association (NGA),
Clinton relayed governors' concerns regarding President Reagan's 1987 budget. The
budget would sharply reduce federal spending on Medicaid, and Clinton estimated that
Arkansas' Medicaid spending would rise by 20 percent to compensate for the proposed
cuts. Moreover, the governor said he warned Reagan that, "you'll be shooting yourself
in the foot" by scaling back Medicaid while trying simultaneously to require welfare
mothers to take jobs. Despite reservations, Clinton generally endorsed the President's
welfare-reform plan and thought there was "a bipartisan consensus" that it should be
adopted.¹⁷
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In February 1987, the NGA introduced its welfare reform proposal to
administration and congressional leaders. Clinton helped write the proposal, which is
widely thought to have been based on the work of the American Public Welfare
Association, a bipartisan group representing 50 state human service departments. The
proposal greatly expanded education and training programs for welfare recipients and
made enrollment in such programs mandatory for most recipients. NGA officials
estimated that the plan initially would require about $1 billion (which Clinton called a
"modest increase")" in additional spending, with 85 percent coming from the federal
government. The governors argued that government would ultimately save money as
welfare recipients found jobs and no longer needed public assistance. The governors
also promoted long-term proposals to extend welfare eligibility to two-parent families,
and to establish minimum benefit levels nationwide. Those proposals would cost far
more to implement - probably $3.6 billion annually, admitted NGA officials. 19
President Reagan endorsed three key components of the NGA welfare-reform
proposal, but declined to say whether he supported the governors' request for $1 billion
annually to implement the proposal. According to Clinton, Reagan agreed that
education and job programs for welfare recipients should be expanded; that all
recipients except those with children under age 3 should be required to enroll in such
programs; and that all states should require recipients to sign contracts spelling out their
rights and responsibilities. But Reagan opposed the governors' long-term proposal for
a national "family living standard" that would guarantee minimum benefits levels and
uniform eligibility rules across the country. Reagan indicated that he opposed an
increase in federal spending on welfare programs.²⁰ When presenting the welfare-
reform proposal to the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives,
Clinton expressed a reluctance "to ask Congress to frontload the program with a lot of
costs with all the problems you have up here. "21
In April 1987, speaking before the Senate Finance Committee, Clinton said he
had "no problem* with establishing a federal-state matching rate in which the federal
share of funding the educational and training programs would be 60 percent, and the
state's 40 percent. Clinton stressed that priorities should be to first "beef up" education
and training requirements, then extend Medicaid coverage and daycare services to
recipients making the transition into the work place, then raise benefits.22
In October 1987, the NGA welfare-reform bill was delayed by Congress when it
failed to be admitted as part of a House reconciliation bill. Although the vote was
close, critics voted against the reconciliation bill because spending provisions in
addition to welfare reform, including increases in Medicaid and food stamps, were
added to the bill. In addition to participation of able-bodied welfare recipients in work
or education programs, the House included welfare benefits for two-parent families and
financial incentives for states to meet a minimum benefit level. Clinton and the NGA
originally recommended that these additions be included, but because of money
constraints, decided to push for the main work/education provision of the program, and
include other provisions after the program showed some success. With the new
additions, the price tag for welfare reform rose from $1 billion to $2.5 billion.23
By November 1987, the welfare-reform bill was back in the Ways and Means
Committee, and Clinton was lobbying for its passage. By December 1987, Clinton was
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praising the House for passing the reform bill and urging the Senate to do the same.24
Less than 2. year later, President Reagan signed the Family Support Act into law, and
praised the governors for their efforts.25
Welfare in Arkansas
As early as 1985, Arkansas' Department of Human Services (DHS) attracted
criticism. To combat growing complaints from inside and outside the department, in
March 1985 Clinton signed legislation reorganizing the DHS. The bill abolished some
parts of the agency, and created divisions to cover specific services delivered through
the DHS. 26 The 1985 reorganization was intended to decentralize the massive agency
by establishing county offices as the gateway to the department's services, and,
according to Clinton, "to meet the needs of the people in a more efficient and
comprehensive way."27 At the same time, the agency director was given sweeping new
powers intended to stem interdepartmental turf battles.
In September 1988, the Bureau of Legislative Research released an assessment
of the 1985 reorganization. Findings of this study indicated that since the
reorganization, progress had been made in Director authority, and ability to deliver
service to clients. However, major problems were noted in administrative support
divisions. Task force reports indicated that the needs of programmatic divisions were
ignored by the administration, as well as the need for administrative systems to be aids
in helping program managers make policy decisions. A large portion of those surveyed
indicated understaffing remained a problem, and that there were too many supervisors
giving instructions to those persons responsible for servicing clients.28 Critics and
some legislators contend that the reorganization accomplished little beyond expanding a
bureaucracy that was already too big. Clinton himself has suggested that a fine-tuning
of the 1985 reorganization might be in order. 29
Budget problems loomed within the DHS. In 1986, Clinton actually blamed
part of the fiscal problems on the federal government's decision to not allow Arkansas
(or any other state) to charge a sales tax on items bought with food stamps. Clinton
complained that he could not call a special session of the General Assembly because if
he did so, the state would be forced to immediately eliminate the sales tax on food
stamps, which cost the state an additional $5 million to $7 million in lost revenue. A
Pine Bluff Commercial report on a Clinton press conference announcing the budget cuts
stated:
"He said he does not plan to call the legislature into special
session. Were he to do so, he said, the economic difficulties could
become more severe because a federal provision says the state sales tax
on food stamps must be removed as soon as the legislature is in session at
any time prior to October, 1986, which is the time when the tax is to be
removed anyway. The action will cost the state $5 million to $7 million a
year, Clinton said. "30
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The Arkansas Gazette report on the same press conference attributes the same
comments to Clinton. An April 11, 1986 Arkansas Gazette reiterates Clinton's
unwillingness to eliminate the extremely regressive tax until the last possible moment
allowed by federal law. The Gazette reported that accoding to state officials "a federal
law that Governor Bill Clinton said two months ago would make him hesitant to call a
special session is no longer a concern. Joan Robbers, Mr. Clinton's press secretary,
said that the governor's attorney had reviewed the federal legislation and determined
that a regular session, but not a special session, would cause the state to have to meet
an earlier deadline for removing those taxes." Clinton actually had his lawyers find a
loophole in the federal legislation so that he could continue taxing poor people's food
stamps.
Budget woes for the DHS continued. In the 1987 budget, the DHS, whose
percentage of state general revenues had been shrinking during the 1980s, requested
substantially more money for the following two fiscal years than Clinton recommended
for legislative approval. Human Services requested $264,542,986 in fiscal 1987-88 -
a 13.5 percent increase over state funding for fiscal year 1986-87, and $274,148,236 in
fiscal 1988-89, & 17.7 percent increase. Clinton recommended the legislature approve
general revenues of only $228,520,412 for the department during the first year of the
biennium, and $239,980,512 the second year. In spite of protests from Ray Scott, then
director of the department, Clinton's lesser amount prevailed. "With all due respect to
the governor," said Scott, "there's no way I can run a 1988 Department of Human
Services program on a 1987 budget." Scott explained that the biggest problem facing
the department was the lack of state dollars. According to Scott, when the state fails
to provide 25 cents for human services, it loses 75 cents in matching money it could get
from the federal government.
Mental Health
Throughout 1986, the DHS was caught in controversy. In February, at the
Benton Services Transition Unit, a mentally disabled client died while being physically
restrained by four employees. At first his family was told he choked on bubble gum,
but a later medical finding showed he died of mechanical suffocation caused by
compression. In June, the attorney general's office released a report of its investigation
into the death, which officials said indicated no criminal liability. However, the report
indicated employees should be disciplined for "errors in judgment" in using restraint.³
In July, nine organizations, representing thousands of handicapped Arkansans, called
for changes in programs that provide care for the physically and mentally disabled.
The groups threatened legal action. 34
The department also came under scrutiny by the federal Health Care Financing
Administration (HCFA), which decides whether institutions for the developmentally
disabled and the mentally ill, as well as hospitals, meet federal standards and thereby
qualify for Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. In July, HCFA decided that the
state hospital no longer qualified when it decertified the psychiatric hospital and
stripped Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements because of deficiencies in medical
record keeping and treatment plans. HCFA also threatened to strip reimbursements to
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the Benton Services Transition Unit, the Booneville Human Development Center and
the Alexander Human Development Center for deficient treatment plans. The
institutions, however, corrected deficiencies and passed their subsequent HCFA
inspections.35
Conclusion
Clinton's record in welfare reform will be attributed to the success or failure of
Project Success, which was originated by the American Public Welfare Association,
and molded into current federal law by the Family Support Act of 1988. National
reviews on Project Success and its counterparts are inconclusive. According to
Governing magazine, Project Success is a hindrance to states that already had ambitious
welfare-to-work programs in place. By that assessment, Clinton claims of the
programs' success indicate a lack of initiative in the first three quarters of his tenure as
governor.
Critics have long accused Clinton of a lack of interest in human services. That
assessment holds credence in view of the constant controversy with which the DHS
seems to be embroiled. The DHS has been a target for law suits. The Mental Health
Division came under scrutiny in 1986, and more recently the state's Department of
Children's Services has been attacked for being unable to protect abused and neglected
children (covered in the Children paper). Clinton critics agree that social services have
been understaffed and underfunded. In recent years, Clinton has blamed the Reagan-
Bush policies of the 1980s for reducing federal funds. But in FY1987-88, 67.3 percent
of the DHS funding came from the federal government, up .3 percent from FY1986-
87.36
According to 1991 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Arkansas remains a poverty
state; only three other states have higher percentages of poor. Nearly one out of five
Arkansans lives in poverty. Nationally, more than 13 percent of the country's residents
live below the poverty line. In Arkansas the percentage is 19.8 percent, up from 19
percent in 1980.37
June 19, 1992
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1 Washington Post, Clinton Proposes 6-Point Program to Aid Families, 5/22/92.
2 Washington Post, Clinton Proposes 6-Point Program to Aid Families, 5/22/92.
3Family Values Speech, Cleveland, Ohio, 5/21/92.
^Philadelphia Inquirer, Clinton on Women's Issues: Both Liberal and Not so Liberal, 5/23/92.
⁵Tbid
6Philadelphia Inquirer, Job training is key to Clinton's welfare reform, 5/7/92.
⁷Arkansas Gazette, Project for AFDC recipients to begin Work Program, 2/22/86.
8Arkansas Gazette, Governor promises walfare reform bill, 12/14/86.
⁹Arkansas Gazette, Welfare project gets folks jobs, 6/24/91.
10Tbid
"Thid
12Tbid
13Project Success Jobs Survey Date, Department of Human Services, 10/14/91.
14Arkansas Gazente, 72% who left welfare in '90 still at work, 10/9/91.
15 Arkansas Democras Gazette, Clinton builds on welfare idea, 11/11/91.
"Tbid
17Arkansas Gazette, Governors tell fears to Reagen, 2/25/86.
1⁹Arkansas Gazene, NGA panel endorses reforms, 2/23/87.
¹⁹Arkansas Gazette, NGA panel endorses reforms, 2/23/87.
20 Arkansas Gazette, 2/24/87.
"Arkansas Gazene, Armed with president's support, 2/25/87.
22 Arkansas Gazette, Governor is pleased by progress made on welfare, 4/10/87.
23 Gazette Washington Bureau, Clinton to continue efforts on welfare, 10/30/87.
24 Gazene Washington Bureau, 12/17/87.
25 Administration of Ronald Reagan, 1988.
26Arkansas Gazette, Reorganization bill signed, 3/15/85.
27Tbid
28Study of the 1985 reorganization of the DHS, 9/20/88,
29 Arkansas Gazette, Social services still troubled, 2/22/91
30pine Bluff Commercial, 2/8/86. (Marty's Fiscal Budget Paper)
31 Arkansas Gazette, Clinton's budget not enough, 11/19/86.
32Tbid.
3⁹ Arkansas Gazette, Tumultuous time has some bright spots, 12/21/86.
34Arkarsas Gazette, Reform programs for state's disabled, 7/12/86.
35 Arkansas Gazette, Tumultuous time has some bright spots, 12/21/86.
36DHS Operating Budgets, 1986-87 & 1987-88.
37Arkansas Gazette, I of 5 Arkansans in poverty, 9/27/91, Census Bureau.
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Welfare Statistics
Total Expenditures for Dept. of Human Services'
1982
172,462,077.
1983
177,059,881.
1984
190,513,812.
1985
201,569,912.
1986
236,895,080.
1987
261,112,325.
1988
259,130,620.
1989
270,602,042.
1990
295,397,213.
1991
306,193,835.
Federal Funding to the Arkansas Dept. of Human Services2
1987
67% (of total DHS budget)
1988
67.3%
1989
67.5%
1990
66.4%
1991
67.5%
AFDC Monthly Average Per Family3
1980
$144.50
1981
135.90
1982
124.27
1983
127.61
1984
150.55
1985
164.40
1986
178.42
1987
184.8
AFDC Monthly Average Per Recipient4
1980
$ 50.30
1981
47.96
1982
43.47
1983
45.08
1984
53.02
1985
55.76
1986
60.47
1987
63.05
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Average Number of Families Receiving AFDC Monthly5
1978-79
29,321
1979-80
29,335
1980-81
29,573
1981-82
25,501
1982-83
22,281
1983-84
22,383
1984-85
21,990
1985-86
22,488
1986-87
22,843
1987-88
23,585