Statement of Congressman Danny K. Davis (as prepared) In Support of His Amendment to Improve TANF Supports for Vulnerable Families

When we heard from witness after witness about the need to help returning citizens overcome their multiple barriers to employment, this bill fails to focus states on the complex needs of these potential workers. Nor does it encourage states to provide workforce development to noncustodial fathers. Helping remove employment barriers for returning citizens and noncustodial parents promises to promote economic well-being, reduce poverty, and increase labor-force participation.

This bill fails to remove the barriers faced by millions of family caregivers – like unrealistic work requirements, time limits and asset tests meant for younger workers, not for nearly-retired grandparents. Many Members on this Committee live in states with large numbers of kinship caregivers – states like Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. This bill fails to help these caregivers.

The Republican bill does not require states to improve their standards to address domestic and sexual violence among TANF participants, nor does it lift the punitive bans on assistance to unwed teen parents who are not in school nor the ban on teens who aren’t living with an adult, leaving homeless youth and former foster youth out in the cold.

The Republican bill fails to include basic due process protections to ensure that TANF recipients are not inappropriately denied, sanctioned or kicked-off of benefits. In Illinois, about 40% of TANF recipients are kicked off of benefits each month largely due to minor violations – a late hours report, a missed signature, or missed work due to a sick child.

My amendment would fix these oversights and improve protections for vulnerable families by:

• extending TANF to parents with substance abuse convictions;
• establishing a workforce development program for returning citizens and noncustodial parents;
• improving TANF supports and removing barriers for family caregivers;
• strengthening TANF for domestic violence victims;
• removing the bans on assistance to unwed teen parents who are not in school and to teens not living with an adult; and
• establishing basic due process protections for TANF recipients prior to sanctions.

This amendment is supported by Generations United, a fabulous organization that champions the needs of grandparent caregivers. These ideas should not surprise the majority given that they come from bills long-referred to this Committee – my Kinship Caregiver bill, my Fatherhood bill, and Congresswoman Moore’s RISE Act. I must recognize Ms. Moore’s outstanding leadership on policies to improve TANF for vulnerable families, including some of the ideas in the GOP’s own bill such as making child poverty a TANF goal.

My amendment would promote economic well-being for vulnerable families. Any costs associated with protecting vulnerable families would be offset with a minor increase in the corporate tax rate.

Congressman Davis serves as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Human Resources on the Committee of Ways and Means, with broad jurisdiction over the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, child care, unemployment, home visiting, and child welfare.