[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 64 (Friday, May 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TANF REAUTHORIZATION

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                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2002

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, We began the preamble to our 
constitution by stating, ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, 
that all men are created equal,'' and then proceeded unnecessarily to 
leave out women, and they still have not reached parity.
  We declared the right to vote as almost being sacred, and then placed 
restrictions that left out non-landholders, women, Black Slaves and 
other categories of human beings.
  We started counting people, but reduced Black Slaves to being counted 
as only \3/5\ of a person.
  Mr. Speaker, I am afraid that with this program, we are following the 
same philosophy and same trends.
  We have a program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. It does 
say temporary assistance to needy families and then we move promptly, 
piously and insensitively to give states the option to cut out or deny 
participation to individuals who are sick and have been convicted of 
felonious drug possessions.
  Mr. Speaker, we are talking about hundreds, thousands and perhaps 
even millions of people who are in great need, have limited education, 
no marketable skill, an arrest record and cannot find a job; Who will 
hire them?
  And quite frankly many of them will return to the penitentiary, 
destitute, hopeless and sentenced to a lifetime of poverty, broken 
promises, unfulfilled dreams and a cost item or liability to the rest 
of society.
  I could cite any number of other concerns that I have about this 
legislation such as not enough opportunity for real training such as 
degree granting college programs, not enough emphasis on childcare and 
not enough emphasis on transportation so that people in inner city and 
rural communities can get to and from where the bulk of new jobs are, 
suburbia America.
  And so . . .
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that when the dust settles and we have a new TANF 
bill, I hope that ex-offenders, including those who have been convicted 
of drug offenses and otherwise qualify, I would hope that they too will 
be eligible to participate.
  I hope that we would allow for programs to help people clear their 
records so that their chances of finding a job will be increased.
  When we do this, we are indeed providing assistance to needy people 
and at the same time we will be helping the rest of society just as 
much.

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