Curbelo, Davis Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Help Needy Americans Find Work

Representatives Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Danny Davis (D-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation that would provide funds for states to subsidize employment for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, helping them escape poverty, find jobs, and climb the economic ladder.

The "Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act" would allot up to $100 million to test whether states subsidizing the wage of TANF recipients can be an effective means of helping them enter the workforce. States could subsidize up to 50 percent of the recipient's wage, with the rest covered by the employer.

"While the economy has improved, many Americans are still struggling to find work, and we should be doing everything we can to help these individuals get ahead," Curbelo said. "The Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act will help job seekers succeed and provide for their families in an increasingly dynamic job market."

"I strongly support modernizing the TANF Contingency Fund to promote effective job-training programs, such as subsidized jobs and career pathway programs," Davis said. "Research on past TANF subsidized-employment programs documents that these initiatives increase employment and earnings both while individuals worked in a subsidized job as well as after the program ended."

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