FRC RELEASES NEW POLL DATA SHOWING STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR FAMILY CAP

FRC:  Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX) was Right When He Said that the Senate is Out of 
Touch with the Grassroots Mandate for Real Welfare Reform

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 1995 -- Family Research Council released a new poll today 
that shows strong public support for the family cap in any welfare reform 
package.  The data coincides with comments by Sen. Phil Gramm that the Senate 
is out of touch with the grassroots mandate for real welfare reform.  The 
following evidence was found:

* The family cap is not a controversial issue -- at least, not outside the 
U.S. Senate.

By a margin of 84 percent to 13 percent, Americans oppose "increasing a 
welfare mother's monthly welfare check if she has another child out of 
wedlock."

Of those who oppose welfare increases, 66 percent "strongly" oppose while 18 
percent are "somewhat" opposed.

* Contrary to conventional wisdom, the family cap enjoys broad support from 
most pro-lifers.

Support for a family cap is at least as strong among those who support 
prohibitions on abortion (except to save the life of the mother) as among 
other Americans.

Seven in 10 pro-lifers "strongly" oppose increasing benefits; another 16 
percent are "somewhat" opposed.

* Americans are more hopeful about efforts to combat illegitimacy than about 
"workfare" strategies.

By a margin of nearly two-to-one (64 percent to 33 percent), Americans say 
"getting young people to delay having children until they are able to support 
themselves and a family" is a more attainable goal than "getting single 
mothers with few job skills into jobs that will pay them enough to support 
themselves and their children."

This doesn't mean Americans oppose workfare.  In fact, fully 90 percent say 
welfare recipients should have to work for their benefits.

But the poll results do suggest that Americans expect policymakers to give at 
least as much attention to a preventative, anti-illegitimacy strategy as they 
do to a remedial, workfare strategy.

* If there aren't enough jobs to go around, most Americans believe welfare 
mothers of preschool children should go to the back of the line.

Eighty-two percent say preschool moms should be the "last" group required to 
work for benefits.  Most say "fathers of dependent children" and "mothers of 
school-aged children" should have to meet work requirements first.

These findings suggest increased day care spending may not be needed to 
complement "workfare" provisions, since neither house would require all 
welfare recipients to work for benefits.

FRC's poll was conducted in mid-October 1995 by Voter/Consumer Research, a 
Bethesda-based polling firm.  The poll surveyed 1,000 randomly selected 
American adults about their views on social welfare and family issues.  The 
poll has a margin for error of +/- 3 percent.

Data regarding other pressing issues will be released Nov. 21, 1995.