September 21, 2003, Alert on Upcoming Senate Vote on TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families)

The Senate Finance Committee has marked up a TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) reauthorization bill by a strictly party-line vote, with no Democrats in support. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has done a good analysis of the proposal that can be found at: http://www.cbpp.org/9-9-03tanf.htm

The bill is somewhat better than HR 4, passed by the House several months ago; but it still increases work requirements and does nothing to help with the crisis in child care among low-income households.

Please read the summary and communicate with your Senators right away (You will find contact information for your Senators' offices at http://www.senate.gov ).

The points the religious community has been supporting are laid out in the NCC's July Action Alert.

In particular, please urge your Senators to support the amendment that will be offered on the floor by Sen. Snowe (and perhaps others) to increase child care funding by the largest amount possible.

We do not know when this legislation will come to the Senate floor, but time is very short. The current funding for TANF expires on September 30 and the Senate leadership hopes very much to avoid another extension, so a vote on TANF should happen very soon.

For more information, contact Mary Cooper, NCC