On September 30, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a bill (H.R. 3146) to extend the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193), sending the measure to the President for his signature. The House passed the measure on September 24 (see The Source, 9/26/03).
The House approved a welfare reauthorization bill (H.R. 4) on February 13 (see The Source, 2/14/03), and the Senate Finance Committee approved its version of the bill on September 10 (see The Source, 9/12/02). However, the Senate has yet to consider the measure on the floor, and there are differences between the House and Senate bills that will have to be resolved in conference. Since its expiration in September 2002, Congress has approved four extensions of the 1996 law.
Noting that he would have preferred a shorter extension, Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said, “I do not want to send the signal that since we are passing a six-month extension, this means that there will be no action on this legislation until March next year.” Expressing the need for swift Senate action, he said, “It is my intention, if a window of opportunity does open up before we adjourn for the year, to work with the leadership to bring this legislation up for consideration.”
