TANF Reauthorization


Ethical Reflection
* Government should not burden the poor.
* Persons created in God’s image deserve to be treated with dignity

Background
* The authorization for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) expired September 30, 2002.
* Since then TANF has operated at the 1997 funding level through a series of continuing resolutions approved by Congress. The current one expires March 31, 2004. If Congress fails to reauthorize TANF, another continuation will be needed.
* Last February the House passed its version (HR 4) which reflects President’s proposal
* The Senate will vote this week or next on their Personal Responsibility and Individual Development for Everyone (PRIDE) Act.

Reauthorization Proposal Problems

House and Senate bills both
* raise 50% work participation rate to 70% by 2008.
* continue benefit ban to legal immigrants for first five years they reside in US.
* provide increase of $1 billion in mandatory child care funding over five years

Differences in House and Senate Proposals
* HR4 drastically increases work hours to 160 a month regardless of children’s ages or the number of adults in the family.
* PRIDE requires 24 hours weekly for single parents with preschool children, 34 for single parents with children over age 6 , and 39 for two-parent families (55 with child care subsidy).
* HR4 drastically limits allowable work


What will help
* Increase funding by at least $6 billion above the Senate Finance Committee level to meet child care needs (Snow/Dodd amendment)
* Restore full benefits to immigrants (Clinton amendment would reinstate TANF)
* Retain the current 20-hour per week work requirement for parents of children under age 6 and 30-hour per week for parents of school-age children
* Expand education and training opportunities by counting participation in such programs as compliance for 24 months and allow 10% of recipients to get post-secondary education (Parents as Scholars)
* Eliminate the “superwaiver” which allows states to waive federal requirements to coordinate programs
* Allow states to count participation in activities designed to help TANF recipients overcome barriers to employment as compliance.

3/2004