[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 136 (Friday, October 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CHILD POVERTY AND BLOCK GRANTS

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 1998

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation that 
would link HHS award granting to child poverty rates.
  As part of welfare reform, the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 
block grant program (TANF), provides over $1 billion for incentive 
awards to states. Beginning in FY 1999, TANF's High Performance Bonus 
Award program will give bonuses to states that reduce the number of 
welfare recipients. In an unrelated section of the bill, TANF requires 
that states determine the rate of child poverty each year and initiate 
corrective action if the rate increases above five percent from the 
previous year due to the TANF program. There is no linkage between the 
receipt of a high performance bonus award and child poverty rates. 
Therefore, under the current system, a state could sustain a dramatic 
increase in child poverty rates and still qualify for a bonus award if 
enough adults have been removed from the welfare rolls.
  Such an outcome would not only constitute a major ``disconnect'' in 
welfare policy but is highly likely. For instance, in recent testimony 
about the Summer Food Service Program administered by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) 
found that TANF caused half of the states to reduce the number of food 
items in the meals or reduce the number of meal locations. GAO 
predicted that 2 million children would be provided insufficient meals, 
would travel further to obtain meals or may go hungry because meals 
will not be served in an accessible location. Under the current rules, 
states that reduced the lunch program would be eligible for bonus 
grants. I am sure my colleagues will agree with me that this result, 
though unintended, is something we cannot ignore, or allow to continue.
  This legislation would require HHS to consider child poverty rates 
prior to granting awards and prohibits an award to any state that 
allows child poverty to increase more than 5 percent per year. My 
colleagues, if you share my concern about the well being of children 
under welfare reform, join me in support of this timely and needed 
legislation.

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