Feb. 8, 2005, Action Alert: House Hearings Scheduled on TANF Reauthorization

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources will hold a hearing on Thursday, February 10, on Reauthorization of TANF.  The witness list has not yet been released, but the hearing is likely to focus on H.R. 240, a bill introduced by Subcommittee Chair Wally Herger (R-CA).  Click here for information on the bill.

ACTION NEEDED:

If one of your Representatives is on the Subcommittee, please call, e-mail, or fax him or her before the hearing to urge support for the positions advanced for the past several years by the interfaith community. 

The members of the Subcommittee are:

REPUBLICANS:                        DEMOCRATS

Nancy L. Johnson, CT             Jim McDermott, WA
Bob Beauprez, CO                  Benjamin L. Cardin, MD
Melissa A. Hart, PA                Fortney "Pete" Stark, CA
Chris Chocola, IN                   Xavier Becerra, CA
Jim McCrery, LA                    Rahm Emanuel, IL
Dave Camp, MI
Phil English, PA

Contact information for Members of the House is available at http://www.house.gov

The interfaith community advocates the passage of TANF reauthorization legislation that will:

*  Provide substantially increased funding for child care:

*  Expand education and training opportunities for recipients;

*  Maintain the current work requirement at 20 hours per week for parents of pre-schoolers and 30 hours for parents of older children;

*  Give states flexibility to extend time limits for families facing severe barriers to employment;

*  Enable families to receive more of the funds collected through Child Support Enforcement;

*  Restore benefits to needy immigrant families.

Click here for detailed information on each of these points.

The latest round of short-term funding for the TANF program ends March 31.  Regular authorization for TANF expired in August of 2002.  Because the House and Senate have given the measure little priority and have not agreed on how to reauthorize the program since then, it has been funded by a series of short-term extensions.  Last year Congressional Republicans made it clear they would not accept another round of funding without substantial changes in the program.  Efforts are certain to be made to increase the work hours required for adult recipients and to divert additional program funds from providing benefits to recipients into programs designed to promote marriage.

-end-

Mary Anderson Cooper: mcooper@ncccusa.org

Click here for more information on TANF