Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress

Clinton had a democratic Senate and House for the first two years of his term, and that allowed him to create several acts to help the people, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, which allowed workers to take temporary leave for family emergencies without having the fear of losing their job. However, after the midterm elections Congress turned Republican, and butted heads with Clinton. In 1995, the House wanted to majorly cut federal spending on education, welfare, and Medicare. Clinton did not accept it because he thought the cuts were too big, and it led to the government shutting down in November of 1995, and lasted until early 1996 when Congress and Clinton finally agreed on a budget. Congress also wanted to reform welfare by getting rid of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which gave money to single mothers that were unemployed. Republicans thought that the program only led to poverty in further generations because mothers wouldn't be motivated to marry or get a job if they lost the welfare. After taking it down, they made Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), which only gave money to families in need for five years, giving them enough time to get into a better economic situation. As a result, lots of single mothers became employed and child poverty decreased by 5% in 6 years.