The House voted a short time ago to block President Obama’s decree to Health and Human Services to allow states to waive welfare work requirements.
The resolution from Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.), and Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) expressed congressional disapproval of the rule under the Congressional Review Act.
The vote was 250-164 after a contentious debate in which Democrats tied the Republican effort to Mitt Romney’s recently revealed comments on the 47 percent.
“Multiple times over the last decade, officials at HHS said they had no legal authority to do what the Obama administration did in July,” said Jordan. “The president’s attempt to waive welfare work requirements doesn’t just violate the law. It also hurts people on welfare.”
Under the disapproval process, the Senate still must approve the resolution before the rule is blocked.
“The Obama Administration’s efforts to weaken welfare work requirements has taxpayers justifiably concerned,” said Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). “This is common-sense legislation that makes certain that the landmark 1996 welfare reform law’s work requirements remain intact.”
“The President might not like Article 1 of the Constitution, but he can’t ignore it,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.). “His latest attempt to side-step Congress and undermine the successful bipartisan welfare reforms of 1996 will not be tolerated by the members of this House.
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