President Bill Clinton, Preparing to Sign Welfare Reform, Writes New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Praising Him For “rousing the nation to face its most profound social challenge”

An uncommon letter of Clinton as President with a holograph postscript

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President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law on August 22, 1996, fulfilling his 1992 campaign promise to “end welfare as we have come to know it”.

The bill was also a cornerstone of the Republican Contract with America under House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Gingrich...

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President Bill Clinton, Preparing to Sign Welfare Reform, Writes New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Praising Him For “rousing the nation to face its most profound social challenge”

An uncommon letter of Clinton as President with a holograph postscript

President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law on August 22, 1996, fulfilling his 1992 campaign promise to “end welfare as we have come to know it”.

The bill was also a cornerstone of the Republican Contract with America under House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Gingrich and Clinton negotiated the legislation in private meetings. It is considered to be a major welfare reform, and is among the more noted laws of Clinton’s administration. Its impact is still being discussed on the campaign trail today.

The bill was presented to President Bill Clinton by Congress on August 19, 1996, and he announced he would sign it.  Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of Massachusetts was an influential liberal US Senator.  Despite his earlier writings on the negative effects of the welfare state, he was sharply critical of the bill and certain Democrats who cooperated with Republicans to support it.  Moynihan warned that the legislation would drive poor families into the streets, invoking dark, Dickensian visions of children “sleeping on grates.” The day after the President was presented the bill and two days before its signing, Clinton wrote Moynihan.

Typed letter signed, on White House letterhead, Washington, August 20, 1996.  “Dear Pat: Thank you for your thoughtful note on Welfare reform. I have the deepest respect for the wisdom and the years you have invested in rousing the nation to face its most profound social challenge. While we may differ on this new law, we both know that the great struggle to overcome illegitimacy and dependency is not over; it is just beginning.  I appreciate your gracious comments and look forward to the day when we sit down to review the results.”  

Clinton adds a postscript “Before we do that we should fix what we can and agree on what we must push the states and the private sectors to do – That we must discuss before 20 years elapse.  Thanks.

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