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Advocacy Blog
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Congress Votes to Extend TANF for 3 Months
Congress has once again taken up legislation to reauthorize the nation's primary welfare program, but the House and Senate are not expected to act on a final bill until April at the earliest. To keep the program operating in the meantime, Capitol Hill lawmakers are extending expiration of the current law from the end of March to the end of June.
The re-authorizing legislation, the Personal Responsibility and Individual Responsibility for Everyone Act, better known as PRIDE, maintains current levels of funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program. The PRIDE legislation also maintains supplemental grants at the current level, but increases child care funding by $6 billion over five years, six times more than the level supported by the White House. In addition, it includes $1 billion more for social service block grants that fund child welfare, adult protective services and other services.
The reauthorized legislation would also continue to make funding available to faith-based social service providers, a key component of the welfare reform law passed in 1996. That law marked the first time statutory rights were provided that allowed religious groups to retain their religious character and autonomy when receiving federal grants to provide social services.
The renewal legislation also provides federal dollars for programs to promote responsible fatherhood and healthy marriages -- two components of President George W. Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative. As passed by the Senate Finance committee, the legislation includes $100 million a year in matching grants for healthy marriage promotion, and another $100 million a year for research, demonstration programs and technical assistance that would be primarily focused on marriage. Another provision adds the responsible fatherhood programs.
For the whole scoop!
Posted by Jennifer Lowe
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