Gramm Knocks Dole’s Plan To Reform Welfare

Signalling a hard struggle ahead on welfare reform, Sen. Phil Gramm criticized the plan of his Republican presidential rival Sen. Bob Dole, saying Sunday it will fail to stem the rise in out-of-wedlock births.

Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Gramm said that the welfare reform bill Dole, R-Kan., introduced Saturday was too weak, and that he has the votes to rewrite it.

“The Dole bill does not have a binding work requirement because it has no enforcement mechanism that actually takes the money away if people won’t work,” said Gramm, R-Texas. “I think we’ll win on that.”

Gramm said there would also be “very close votes” on his attempts to mandate cutoffs in payments for teenage welfare mothers who have more children, and to bar welfare payments to immigrants.

Gramm said Dole thinks giving welfare to immigrants is a good political issue. “I think it’s bad public policy.”