
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, September 15, 1995                   TAG: 9509150101
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post|
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

WELFARE BILL GETS CHILD CARE FUNDS

Senate Republicans, after a day of confusion and mixed signals, made a major concession to moderates and Democrats on Thursday, agreeing to add $3 billion to their welfare legislation to provide child care for welfare mothers who go to work.

The agreement removed a major hurdle that had held up action for much of the day and improved chances that the measure would draw some bipartisan support.

Democrats and moderates have insisted that the fundamental goal of the legislation - moving millions of welfare recipients into the work force - was doomed unless Congress provided sufficient funds for day care.

``We can have child care, or we can have orphanages,'' said Sen. Daniel Moynihan, D-N.Y., adding that child care is preferable.

Democrats led by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who came within one vote of adding $6 billion for child care earlier this week, held out Thursday in an effort to force Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., to come closer to their figure.

After learning of Dole's agreement to add $3 billion to the bill, which already contained $5 billion to be spent over five years, Dodd said he had moved from the ``no'' column to the ``undecided.''

``I originally wanted a higher figure, but [Dole's] is one I can live with,'' he said. Earlier, Dodd had said the child-care issue was pivotal in drawing not only the support of the Democrats but the White House.

President Clinton has not said whether he would veto the bill, but his spokesman, Mike McCurry, said earlier this week that the bill was ``beginning to move ... in the direction of real reform.''

Since the Senate began debate on the legislation last week, moderate Republicans and Democrats have combined their votes to force several major concessions.

Dole said Thursday he had offered other concessions to moderates and conservatives in an effort to complete action on the long-stalled bill, which was scheduled for final action Thursday night. Added to the bill were funds to provide ``abstinence education,'' a demand from conservatives.

The bill also was expanded to include several provisions advocated by Democrats, including a bonus to states that are most successful at moving welfare parents into unsubsidized jobs and an emergency fund for states that need help because of recession.

by CNB