“The bill released today by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and offered by Senate President Murray and others reflects a comprehensive approach that seeks to transition recipients away from dependence on welfare programs and towards sustainable economic independence.  The bill also contains some critical reforms to address fraud and abuse, although it does not contain additional reforms that were offered during Senate budget deliberations.  Today, however, it appears that the long-awaited opportunity for the Senate to act decisively to reform the welfare system is now just days away.  We look forward to fully engaging in the debate to make the bill stronger and working with our colleagues to achieve the goals of transparency, accountability and program integrity.  A prime opportunity is now before us and we have no time to waste to capture its potential.”

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