Clinton Touts 60% Drop in Welfare Rolls

President Clinton, pointing to achievements in his final budget, said welfare rolls fell by more than 60% 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. “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 in his weekly radio address. He added that as a result of welfare changes he promoted, “millions of former welfare recipients now know the dignity of work.” 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.”