If I could ask you a question about
welfare reform. I know we had a briefing this morning, but
I'd just ask you a couple things here on camera, if I
may. Does the White House have any second thoughts at all
about a sharp increase in work requirements at a time when many of the
states have fiscal problems and you also have a relatively soft job
market?
MR. FLEISCHER: The interesting history about welfare
reform is that even in previous recoveries, previous economic booms,
the welfare rolls still went up. Only after concurrent with
the welfare reforms that went into effect in 1996 did the welfare rolls
drop as much as they did. And even now, with the recession
that began last March, the welfare rolls have not dropped the way
people thought they would, or actually the number of people on welfare
has not increased.
So let me try to put it a little more succinctly for
you. The President is confident that one of the reasons
welfare reforms works is because in good times and in bad times it
tells people that the aid they get under welfare will only be temporary
and that people can find work, they should be able to find work, and
the government has programs set up to help them find
work. And that's the success of the welfare program in good
times and bad. And that has fundamentally led to
improvements in the lives of low-income Americans, by taking away the
trap that the old welfare state used to be, and replacing it instead
with a focus on work and self-sufficiency.
Q Governors, both Republican and Democrats,
have asked for additional money, either-- and an "inflation adjustment"
or additional money to do these various things, including additional
money to help cover the costs of child care for all of these people
that the President would like to now see working more. Is
the administration sympathetic in any way to those requests?
MR. FLEISCHER: You are correct, the governors have asked
for additional money. And, at the same time, there are many
members of Congress who are suggesting that the amount of the TANF, or
the Temporary Aid to Needy Families block grant be
reduced. So you have governors asking for more, you have
members of Congress, particularly on the Republican side, asking for
less, and the reason they say that is because the number of people who
are on welfare has dropped so dramatically from 1996, while the amount
of money available for everybody on welfare has remained the same.
And so there has been a tremendous per capita increase in the
amount of money available to help welfare, the families that remain on
welfare. That extra money now has been used for child care, for
transportation, to help people get cars so they can go to jobs on the
other side of town, if that's necessary.
So the President's view is that the right answer is to leave the
block grant exactly as it is. It should not be cut, even
though the welfare rolls have dropped dramatically. But
neither does he think it needs to be increased. The
President thinks the amount is just right.
Q Ari, several thousand steelworkers are
going to be at the White House, or in front of the White House on
Thursday. Is the President considering letting a few of them
in to hear their views on Thursday?
MR. FLEISCHER: The people has heard the views of many
people on this topic, and I think he will continue to. He's
heard the views of the steelworkers. And, as you know, he
has until March 6th to make his decision about steel and steel
imports. He has not made any decision yet.
Q That's a no?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm sorry?
Q That's a no, basically?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'll take a look at the Thursday schedule
on Thursday. But as I said, the President is sensitive to their--
sensitive to their concerns and he hears their voices.
Q -- that decision will be on March 6th, or
the President will make --
MR. FLEISCHER: There's no indication yet on what time it
will be.
Q Thank you.
MR. FLEISCHER: Thank you.
END 12:37 P.M. EST
#141-02/26