[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 65 (Monday, May 20, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WORK, AND FAMILY PROMOTION ACT OF 2002

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2002

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I voted against the rule and H.R. 4700 because 
they do not address the transportation needs of TANF program 
participants and this rule does not provide any opportunity for members 
to support a Mobile Allowance program for TANF participants.
  It is time to admit that the working poor cannot keep their jobs if 
they cannot get to work. The working poor are fighting to overcome 
poverty. They are hard working Americans who are struggling to keep low 
paying jobs, hoping to find a way out of their poverty. Their family 
resources are most limited. These households can barely meet their 
basic needs. Very often they have no chance of ever accumulating the 
savings needed for unexpected financial needs. TANF recipients have few 
assets and very often a poor credit history. These circumstances make 
it almost impossible for the working poor to ever acquire automobiles. 
And yet, we know that transportation is the key to helping people keep 
their jobs. Without transportation, the working poor risk losing their 
jobs and remaining confined to the cycle of poverty. Studies have shown 
that when the working poor are given the help they need to stay 
employed, their use of public assistance drops significantly.
  If this body is going to authorize a Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families program we must at the very least, recognize that such a 
program should address the transportation needs of the working poor or 
we must admit that TANF has very little chance of genuinely helping 
families overcome poverty.
  The role of transportation in the successful transition from welfare 
to work cannot be overstated. It is time to include the transportation 
issue in the debate about how to improve Temporary Assistance to Needy 
Families. TANF is meant to provide a safety net for the poor and a 
lifeline to economic stability. The TANF program cannot achieve this 
goal without addressing the critical link between jobs and 
transportation. Some states have already established programs to help 
TANF participants meet their transportation needs. It is time to ensure 
that all States address this need and establish a Mobile Allowance 
program.

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