|
Bush to Announce Plans to Overhaul Welfare Law VOA News 26 Feb 2002 18:30 UTC 
President Bush is due to unveil more of his administration's plans to overhaul the landmark 1996 welfare law - encouraging recipients of government benefits to find work and get married.
In a speech at a Catholic church in Washington Tuesday, Mr. Bush will announce an increase of more than $3 billion for welfare reform over the next five years. The president's plan includes stiffer work requirements on people who receive government assistance, more subsidies to states to encourage marriage, and an extension of an existing ban on welfare payments to immigrants who have not become U.S. citizens.
The Bush administration says the plan would make special accommodations for parents with infants and individuals who need substance abuse treatment, rehabilitation, or special work-related training.
The director of the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support, Deepak Bhargava, criticized the Bush proposals as a huge step backwards. He said he finds it unrealistic for the Bush administration to expect welfare recipients to find work in the middle of an economic recession.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
|