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BYLINE: By LAWRENCE L. KNUTSON, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
President Clinton, pointing to achievements in his final budget, said Saturday that welfare rolls have fallen by more
than 60 percent during his eight years in office. He also announced $200 million in bonus money as a reward to states
where welfare recipients found and kept jobs.
In his weekly radio address, Clinton also said his administration's commitment to fiscal discipline has resulted in "the
strongest economy in a generation."
"If we continue to invest in our people and create opportunities for them, if we continue to honor and reward work,
our possibilities are truly without limit," Clinton said, one day after Congress approved his final budget.
Clinton said that as a result of welfare changes he promoted, "millions of former welfare recipients now know the
dignity of work."
Over the past eight years, he said, welfare case loads have been cut by more than 8 million people. "Last year alone,
1.2 million parents on welfare went to work, determined to build better lives," Clinton said.
"Nationwide over the last eight years, welfare rolls have dropped nearly 60 percent, and now are the lowest in more
than 30 years," he said.
The White House said the caseload is at its lowest since 1968 and just 2.7 percent of the population is on welfare the
lowest rate in 37 years.
Clinton noted that when Congress adopted welfare reform legislation in 1996, he insisted on incentives to states to
help people moving off welfare find and keep jobs.
The president hoped states would use the bonus money for support programs such as child care, transportation and job
training that can make "a critical difference between welfare checks and paychecks."
In response, Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., chairman of the House Republican Conference, claimed welfare reform as a
Republican vision.
"Republicans were accused of wanting to starve children and throw grandparents in the streets," he said. "We stepped
up to the plate and not only got the job done, but got it done right."
Although many Democrats opposed drastic changes in the welfare system, Clinton campaigned in 1992 to "end
welfare as we know it." He has voiced regret in interviews that he did not press welfare reform earlier in his
administration, in part as a means of broadening the party's appeal to conservative voters.
The Senate and House voted Friday to approve the year's final spending package, a bill providing $450 billion for
hiring teachers, health research, and for Medicare and other programs. Also included were provisions to help about 1
million immigrants who want to remain in the United States, and a $25.8 billion, 10-year mix of tax cuts aimed at
creating jobs and spurring investment in poor communities.
Citing those and other successes, Clinton said the new budget will include money to help cover more uninsured poor
children, extend Medicaid coverage to thousands of poor parents leaving welfare, and increase payments to hospitals,
home health agencies and nursing homes.
"We have also secured an extra $817 million to help working families afford child care, to meet their responsibilities
both at work and at home," he said.
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"ocrText": "BYLINE: By LAWRENCE L. KNUTSON, Associated Press Writer\nDATELINE: WASHINGTON\nBODY:\nPresident Clinton, pointing to achievements in his final budget, said Saturday that welfare rolls have fallen by more\nthan 60 percent during his eight years in office. He also announced $200 million in bonus money as a reward to states\nwhere welfare recipients found and kept jobs.\nIn his weekly radio address, Clinton also said his administration's commitment to fiscal discipline has resulted in \"the\nstrongest economy in a generation.\"\n\"If we continue to invest in our people and create opportunities for them, if we continue to honor and reward work,\nour possibilities are truly without limit,\" Clinton said, one day after Congress approved his final budget.\nClinton said that as a result of welfare changes he promoted, \"millions of former welfare recipients now know the\ndignity of work.\"\nOver the past eight years, he said, welfare case loads have been cut by more than 8 million people. \"Last year alone,\n1.2 million parents on welfare went to work, determined to build better lives,\" Clinton said.\n\"Nationwide over the last eight years, welfare rolls have dropped nearly 60 percent, and now are the lowest in more\nthan 30 years,\" he said.\nThe White House said the caseload is at its lowest since 1968 and just 2.7 percent of the population is on welfare the\nlowest rate in 37 years.\nClinton noted that when Congress adopted welfare reform legislation in 1996, he insisted on incentives to states to\nhelp people moving off welfare find and keep jobs.\nThe president hoped states would use the bonus money for support programs such as child care, transportation and job\ntraining that can make \"a critical difference between welfare checks and paychecks.\"\nIn response, Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., chairman of the House Republican Conference, claimed welfare reform as a\nRepublican vision.\n\"Republicans were accused of wanting to starve children and throw grandparents in the streets,\" he said. \"We stepped\nup to the plate and not only got the job done, but got it done right.\"\nAlthough many Democrats opposed drastic changes in the welfare system, Clinton campaigned in 1992 to \"end\nwelfare as we know it.\" He has voiced regret in interviews that he did not press welfare reform earlier in his\nadministration, in part as a means of broadening the party's appeal to conservative voters.\nThe Senate and House voted Friday to approve the year's final spending package, a bill providing $450 billion for\nhiring teachers, health research, and for Medicare and other programs. Also included were provisions to help about 1\nmillion immigrants who want to remain in the United States, and a $25.8 billion, 10-year mix of tax cuts aimed at\ncreating jobs and spurring investment in poor communities.\nCiting those and other successes, Clinton said the new budget will include money to help cover more uninsured poor\nchildren, extend Medicaid coverage to thousands of poor parents leaving welfare, and increase payments to hospitals,\nhome health agencies and nursing homes.\n\"We have also secured an extra $817 million to help working families afford child care, to meet their responsibilities\nboth at work and at home,\" he said."
}