Democrats Offer an Alternative Welfare Plan
Senate Democrats on Thursday offered a tough new welfare plan that would require recipients to work and limit benefits to five years.
The senators said they were optimistic about their chances for influencing the course of welfare legislation, which may go to the Senate floor as early as next week.
The Democrats’ alternative to a Republican welfare reform plan would jettison the nation’s 60-year-old welfare program, Aid to Families With Dependent Children, replacing it with temporary aid that would end after five years.
The bill was crafted after the leadership held discussions with every member of the Democratic caucus, consulted with various social organizations and held a conference call with the nation’s Democratic governors Thursday, according to Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).
The new proposal would guarantee support to poor families for no more than 60 months over a lifetime. After that, able-bodied parents would be cut off and dependent children would receive a voucher to pay only for their needs.
Recipients would be pushed to get private-sector jobs immediately instead of enrolling in work training or educational programs.
To help poor parents get jobs, Democrats plan to offer child care and medical insurance for up to two years after recipients leave the welfare rolls.
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