COMMITTEE CLEARS WELFARE REFORMS

The House Ways and Means Committee approved the centerpiece of theRepublican welfare reform plantoday, voting 22-11 to give states more leeway in distributing benefits and to cut off government aid to most legal immigrants. The legislation also would replace cash benefits to thousands of disabled children with expanded medical services. Another House committee approved legislation to tighten rules for the food stamp program and to hold down automatic increases in benefits.