Extending Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program and Related Programs
Floor Speech
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Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2940, which strengthens the ``Temporary Assistance for Needy-Families'' program.
Specifically, H.R. 2940 extends the authorizations for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) and the Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES) through September 30, 2019.
The legislation passed by Congress to end the Trump Shutdown authorizes the TANF program through June 30, 2019.
H.R. 2940 is necessary to ensure that the Department of Health and Human Services has the authority to pay fourth quarter allotments to states, tribes, and territories on time and in full, preventing any interruption of benefits to low-income parents and children.
TANF is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and features four program goals: provide assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes; reduce the dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; prevent and reduce unplanned pregnancies among 1 single young adults; and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
Under TANF, the federal government gives states a fixed block grant totaling $16.5 billion each year.
This annual amount has not increased for inflation over the past two decades-and now covers only two-thirds of the purchasing power when it was created.
TANF and SNAP are essential to provide nutritional and financial assistance to the nation's neediest families and children.
Nearly half (48 percent) (3,375,666) of Texan children live in low- income families which is significantly higher than the national level of 41 percent.
Texas needs to increase the amount of funding for needy families to support their livelihoods and prosperity.
Many TANF families struggle with multiple barriers to self- sufficiency, such as disabilities, mental health issues, domestic violence and substance use disorders.
As a result, these families may not always be able to meet the full participation requirements.
States and counties should be given the flexibility to provide partial credit to these families with special needs.
TANF funding should be increased annually by an amount commensurate with the rate of inflation to ensure that the program's actual value does not decrease each year.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Texas has supported 57,201 Texans in FY2018.
Texas has reported March 2019 TANF expenditures of $3,371,717 for 18,195 cases.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Texas is listed as one of nine (9) states that spend less than 10 percent of TANF funds.
Another families program that falls under assistance for needy is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides nutritional assistance to children and families.
Texas has spent $357,125,771 over the span of 1,377,384 cases in April 2019.
As of April 2019, Houston has 1,557 SNAP cases, which provides services to 3,168 people, of which 252 are elderly and 1,461 are children.
In total, SNAP has funded $350,743 in food assistance as of April 2019 in Houston.
Long-term reauthorization and adequate funding for this safety-net program are critical for counties, which invest over $58 billion annually in human services.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2940 to support the extension of these critical programs for our needy families and children.
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