Press Releases

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Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12) voted today to for a bill that will further reform welfare by strengthening work requirements and promoting healthy marriages.

"Republicans passed landmark welfare reform in 1996. This legislation has helped to move 9 million recipients off the rolls into work. Nearly three million children have been lifted out of poverty and the black child poverty rate is at its lowest level in recorded history," said Congresswoman Granger. "I am proud to support legislation that will help others help themselves."

Key components of House Republican welfare reform include:

* Helping welfare recipients achieve independence through work by increasing minimum work requirements by five percent per year. States will be required to have 70 percent of welfare families working and participating in other job-preparation activities 40 hours per week in FY 2007, of which up to 16 hours can be education or training.

* Protecting children and strengthening families by increasing childcare funding and improving the quality of childcare. The GOP plan encourages healthy marriages and two-parent married families by offering pre-marital education and counseling, as well as efforts to promote responsible fatherhood.

* Encouraging program innovation by states by establishing broad "State Flex" authority. This will allow states to improve program effectiveness or coordinate a range of programs in order to improve service delivery.

"Republicans have been successful in replacing welfare checks with paychecks," said Granger. "Today's vote will continue to help others pursue independence."