Bush Administration Proposal for Reauthorization of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

On January 14, 2003, President Bush presented his latest proposal for reauthorization of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), in a 15-minute press event at the White House. He gave few details of the proposal and, in fact, devoted most of his remarks to advocacy for his faith-based initiative and his tax cut proposal.

The President’s proposal, insofar as its contents are known, seems to be nearly identical to the one put forward last February and passed, with a few changes, by the House in May (see Comparison of the 2002 Bush Administration's proposal with religious community principles.)   It apparently ignores the input from Department of Health and Human Services and congressional field hearings, studies and evaluations of TANF by academics and service providers, and recommendations for improvements by recipients and advocates.

As before, the Bush proposal calls for a work requirement of 40 hours a week (16 of which may be spent in programs "designed to help them [recipients] achieve independence." Perhaps the most alarming fact about the Administration proposal is that it freezes funding at the current level for five years for both TANF itself and for the child care that is essential if TANF is to succeed.

The proposed funding takes no account of inflation since the plan was enacted in 1996. It also ignores the fact that states are in dire straits financially and will be forced by this inadequate investment in TANF and child care to cut the very features that have allowed TANF to succeed in many states. Only the day before the Bush announcement, the desperation of the states was illustrated when California’s Governor Gray Davis proposed to cut 55,000 child care slots for low-income children and to reduce funds for education and training programs for TANF recipients because of lack of funds. Many advocates and service providers are convinced that the inadequate funding for TANF in these difficult economic times will force states to set up mandatory workfare programs for TANF recipients because education, training, and regular paid employment will not be available for them.

The Administration’s proposal appears to be completely inconsistent with the religious community’s principles for reauthorization of TANF (see link above).

Please contact the President -- president@whitehouse.gov -- and your Representatives and Senators to express your views about the Administration’s proposal for TANF reauthorization. You can find information on how to contact your Senators at http:/www.senate.gov and your Representatives at http:/www.house.gov

Mary Cooper, National Council of Churches