Dean noted that Vermont was the first state in the country to do welfare to work.  He described the welfare reform bill which President Clinton signed into law in August 1996 and which created the TANF program, as "probably the most important social legislation in the 90s."  "It was a good bill," Dean said.  By contrast, he said, the reauthorization bill marks "an intrusion on an excellent program" and will "force the states to create make-work jobs."  "The President's proposal takes us backwards," he said.

Also during this trip to Washington, on May 9, Dean met privately with foreign policy experts and in the evening he spoke at the DNC Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council Chairman's Dinner.