[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 148 (Friday, November 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2074-E2075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVID WU

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2002

  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that would 
allow states with waivers under the Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families (TANF) program, that are set to expire in the next calendar 
year, to voluntarily extend the length of those waivers for an 
additional year.
  As my colleagues know, the TANF program has been very successful in 
helping millions of Americans get through difficult times. It is 
important that Congress build on the success of TANF and reauthorize 
this program with important changes.
  However, as my colleagues know, we have reached the close of the 
107th Congress, and we have yet to complete action on a TANF 
reauthorization bill. TANF expired on September 30 of this year and has 
thus far been funded under continuing resolutions.
  I seek not to criticize one party or another or one chamber of 
Congress or the other for this delay. The issues at heart in this 
debate are important and decisions should not be made in haste. 
However, inaction on TANF reauthorization this year has created the 
potential that several states will be unfairly penalized and my 
constituents, and those of many other Members, will pay a steep price.
  Prior to 1996, welfare policy in the United States was administered 
through the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. 
Under this program the Secretary of Health and Human Services had the 
authority to grant waivers to states to allow them to create innovative 
welfare programs that met the goals of welfare but not the specific 
requirements of AFDC.
  In the early 1990's, as it became clear that AFDC was failing to meet 
its goal of helping

[[Page E2075]]

to move impoverished Americans to self-sufficiency, the Clinton 
Administration greatly expanded the number and scope of these waivers 
and many states took advantage. Many provisions of the innovative state 
waiver programs were later incorporated into the legislation that 
created the TANF program.
  My state of Oregon took advantage of a welfare waiver and over the 
past six years has created a highly successful program that has seen 
welfare caseload reduction above the national average. Oregon's waiver 
and the waivers of eight other states have expired, or will expire, 
between September 2002 and September 2003. Once they expire, the states 
will have to spend scarce resources reconfiguring their programs to 
meet the federal TANF standards.
  This comes at a particularly inopportune time. With the fall off in 
the American economy, states around the nation are experiencing some of 
the largest budget deficits in history. Furthermore, rising 
unemployment rates have forced many out of work and back on to the 
welfare rolls. Scare resources should not be spent on programmatic 
changes to effective programs, particularly when it comes at the 
expense of our most needy constituents.
  With work on TANF reauthorization uncompleted, states with expiring 
welfare waivers will not be able to adequately plan their welfare 
programs for the future. It makes little sense for them to begin 
transitioning to the current program with the knowledge that Congress 
intends to make substantive changes to TANF during the 108th Congress. 
But, under current law, this is exactly what they will have to do.
  Mr. Speaker, it is irresponsible for Congress to force states to 
transition their programs twice and waste scarce resources on 
unnecessary programmatic changes, particularly in hard economic times.
  Congress should correct this unintended consequence of its inaction 
by extending existing state waivers.

                          ____________________