Under the Bush proposal, work requirements for welfare recipients would be expanded from 30 hours to 40 hours per week. But the bill allows for 16 of those hours to be spent in job-related activities, including addiction treatment.

"Work is the key to success in helping families lift themselves out of poverty. It's the key to success for improving the lives of our children," said Bush. "The time has come to strengthen that law."

The 1996 welfare-reform law expired at the end of 2002. "Unfortunately, the Senate never was able to act on the House bill, so it died," Bush said. "Today, I want to remind the new Congress we have an obligation to reauthorize the welfare bill, welfare reform, to make it work."

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