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SUBCOMMITTEES: Privacy, Copyright, and Permission to Link Statement |
Committee on Ways and Means For Immediate Release Michigan Residents Share Welfare Reform Success Stories, Make Suggestions for Program Improvements Field Hearing in Michigan Scheduled for Tuesday, April 2WASHINGTON- On April 2, Governor John Engler, former welfare recipients, caseworkers, employers and others will gather in Saginaw, Michigan to share their welfare reform experiences with the Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives charged with reauthorizing the program. Local Congressman Dave Camp, a member of the Subcommittee on Human Resources, will chair this field hearing. The landmark welfare reform law of 1996 was designed to aid low-income American families and end dependency by promoting work. The results have been remarkable. The number of children living in poverty has dropped by nearly 3 million and the African American child poverty rate is at a record low. Welfare caseloads have fallen by 60 percent and almost 9 million recipients have left welfare. This hearing will review the welfare reform outcomes in Michigan and solicit the perspectives of former recipients, employers, and caseworkers on how to improve the welfare system so that more individuals achieve independence. “Welfare reform has been a tremendous success. We've reduced poverty, decreased dependence, and promoted work," Camp said. "But behind all of the remarkable statistics are millions of families who by working their way off welfare have been given renewed hope and opportunity." "This hearing will shine a spotlight on how reform has worked in Michigan, as we hear personal testimonies of how lives were changed. It will also provide an opportunity for those affected by the program to share their suggestions as we work to improve the 1996 welfare reforms this year," Camp concluded.
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