Tenzin Tsetan Choklay: Daniel Patrick Moynihan on Meet the Press

Source: This piece was originally posted at The New Democrat

In this whole video I was most impressed with Pat Moynihan when he was talking about what became Welfare to Work in 1996. Which is what he supported when he worked for President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. The Nixon Administration, actually proposed what became the 1996 Welfare to Work Law, but in 1969 and pushed it in the early 1970s, but couldn’t get it through a Democratic Congress. He advocated for child care grants, so single mothers could go back to school and go to work. He advocated for job training and even work requirements for people on Welfare. So they’re simply not collecting government checks, but not trying to move from Welfare all together.

Now of course as Senator Daniel P. Moynihan, he voted against the 1996 Welfare to Work Law when Congress debated that bipartisan bill that was signed by President Bill Clinton. But before he came to Congress in 1977 that is the type of Welfare system that he wanted. An insurance system for uneducated adults who have kids too soon and aren’t ready to take care of them. Who need help getting by in the short-term, but also help them become independent long-term and off public assistance all together. Because they’re getting child care assistance for their kids. They’re going back to school, they’re working for perhaps the first time in their lives and getting themselves the skills to get themselves a good job and get off of Welfare all together.
Tenzin Tsetan Choklay: Daniel Patrick Moynihan on Meet The Press