One thoughtful response came from Robert Rector, who was one of the thinkers behind the 1996 reforms.

FORBES: Conservatives Are Missing The Point On Welfare Reform

The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector points out that this metric is bogus.

WSJ: Review & Outlook: Welfare Reform as We Knew It

But Robert Rector, of the Heritage Foundation in Washington, sees it as part of a permanent expansion of welfare spending that the country can ill afford even if it provides a temporary stimulus.

NPR: Stimulus Would Help States Provide Food Stamps