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Welfare
1996 Welfare Reform Law *
Welfare-to-Work * Community
Service Block Grants
I believe getting people off welfare and into jobs is key
to encouraging people to work, learn and become self-sufficient,
productive, contributing members of our great nation.
On May 16, I voted for H.R.
4737, the Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion
Act, which passed the House by a vote of 229 to 197.
I support H.R. 4737 because it builds on the historic 1996
welfare reform law by helping more families achieve independence
through work and empowering states to seek new and innovative
solutions to reduce welfare dependency and poverty.
H.R. 4737 adds poverty reduction as a stated purpose of the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. This will permit
states to use federal TANF dollars in any way that furthers the
explicit goal of reducing poverty. H.R. 4737 also requires states
to establish self-sufficiency plans for welfare recipients which
specify appropriate activities designed to move the individual and
family toward independence.
This bill requires states to engage at least 70 percent of
their welfare recipients in 24 hours of direct work each week,
and the other 16 hours in job-related activities like education,
training or counseling. This will allow individuals to work
three days and go to school two days each week. I believe
meaningful work requirements blended with education and training
will allow even more low-income parents to know the dignity
that comes with a steady paycheck.
In addition to the above, individuals are permitted to engage
in four consecutive months of full-time education and job-related
training and still satisfy the work participation requirement.
This will allow an individual to attend one semester of community
college and still receive cash benefits. Finally, adolescent
mothers can meet the work requirement by attending high school
or pursuing their general equivalency degree (GED).
As we set a more challenging standard on work, we must remain
responsive to people with multiple barriers to employment.
As the reauthorization process moves forward, I am hopeful
there will be a focus on allowing older individuals to take
the time necessary to get a GED, as well as a greater emphasis
on helping those who need intensive drug rehabilitation.
It is also important to provide a support network for families
transitioning from welfare to work. Safe, affordable, high-quality
child care is an important support service needed for this
transition. H.R. 4737 reauthorizes the Child Care and Development
Block Grant (CCDBG) at $4.8 billion each year through 2007,
with an additional $2 billion in child care funds over the
next five years. I am pleased we were able to increase funding
for child care in the House and will support further increases
as the reauthorization process moves forward.
H.R. 4737 will require states to devote at least six percent
of their funds from CCDBG to improve child care quality. Programs
that would qualify for CCDBG funds include: training, education,
and other professional development activities that enhance
the skills of the child care workforce. Furthermore, activities
to promote early literacy and foster school readiness in child
care settings, as well as initiatives to increase the retention
and compensation of child care providers, are also eligible
for funds under CCDBG.
Under H.R. 4737, states will be required to meet the needs
of parents eligible for assistance who have children with
special needs, work non-traditional hours or require infant
or toddler care. Mothers who are getting off welfare and going
to work will have more options for the care of their children.
This bill will also allow states to address the unique challenges
faced by their populations. H.R. 4737 enables states to conduct
innovative demonstration projects and coordinate a range of
workforce and social programs to improve service delivery.
It gives states the freedom to better meet the needs of welfare
recipients as they work toward independence.
H.R. 4737 is an important step forward as we encourage people
to work, learn, grow and become self-sufficient, productive,
contributing members of our great nation.
1996 Welfare Reform Law
The old welfare system was prone to abuse and clearly dysfunctional.
It had ceased to be a safety net and instead became a way
of life for many recipients. It was not giving enough support
to our nation's children.
Because innovative welfare reforms in the last two decades
had come primarily from the states and not the federal government,
we need to move money, power and influence from Washing and
into the hands of those who know how to use it best: the states
and local communities.
Under the 1996 federal law, individuals who have received
benefits for two consecutive years are required to work or
lose their benefits. After five years, families would receive
no additional welfare assistance. Paternity must be established
for mothers to receive full benefits. If an individual does
not cooperate, states must reduce assistance by 25 percent.
The State of Connecticut has chosen to apply a much shorter
time limit on welfare recipients. At 21 months, Connecticut's
cutoff is the third shortest in the nation.
Welfare-to-Work
One of the most important components of welfare reform has
been the welfare-to-work grant program. Authorized in the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the grant program assists hard-to-employ
welfare recipients. In total, $2 billion in federal welfare-to-work
funds have been awarded in formula grants to states and $712
million in competitive grants have been awarded to localities
and nonprofit organizations.
In response to concerns that the requirements for welfare-to-work
fund eligibility were too strict, the Fiscal Year 2000 (FY
00) budget contained a number of amendments to expand the
eligible population.
Previously, at least 70 percent of welfare-to-work funds
had to be directed toward long-term welfare recipients who
possessed at least two of three defined characteristics. These
three characteristics were: low educational attainment; substance
abuse; and poor work history.
The FY 00 amendments modify eligibility to serve any long-term
welfare recipients, defined as individuals who have received
assistance for at least 30 months (not consecutive) or who
would become ineligible for assistance within 12 months because
of a time limit.
I am glad Congress and the Administration were able to enact
comprehensive welfare reform legislation which creates incentives
for families to remain intact, gets more people off welfare
and into jobs, eliminates unnecessary federal regulations
and returns power and flexibility over welfare programs to
the states.
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