“Many former welfare recipients are enjoying a better quality of life today then they were just three years ago,” Jones said.  “When we passed the Welfare Reform Act, we enabled more Americans to provide for themselves and their families without having to rely on the government.  Now, poverty is going down, and states like North Carolina are experiencing a drop in welfare caseloads.”

Since passage of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, welfare rolls have declined, overall poverty, and child poverty have also declined.  In the state of North Carolina alone, the number of welfare caseloads has dropped from 267,326 in 1996 to 138,570 in 1999, a drop of 48 percent.

“This Congress successfully reformed a failing welfare state.  Before, the government provided single parents who did not work and did not marry with a permanent entitlement. The program now offers training and temporary assistance, which enables more former recipients to achieve employment so families can support themselves and prepare for the future.  This is an example of real progress,” Jones said.