April 2002 Call to Action News

Welfare reform in 2002: Time to Make a Noise about the Need!

The sweeping welfare reform legislation signed into law by Clinton in 1996 is up for reauthorization before October. Fans of the program celebrate the fact that under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) federal block grants to the states, the number of people on the welfare rolls has been cut 62 percent in five years. But reducing the TANF caseload has not led to a like decrease in hunger and poverty. Currently 31 million people live below the poverty line. Amid U.S. affluence, one child in six still lives in poverty. Lines at food banks and soup kitchens are growing, not shrinking.

As TANF is renewed, the stated goal of national welfare policy must be, not just moving people off welfare, but reducing poverty. That is the lobbying focus of many justice voices with whom CTA has often collaborated: the USCCB, Bread for the World, and NETWORK. They agree that the new law should

• change TANF rules to allow adults to get more education and training for jobs;

• beef up supports for working poor families, like child care and transportation;

• ease time limits on receiving benefits; and

• insure sufficient funding.

Bush would leave TANF funding at $16.5 billion, where it has stayed for five years. Yet in 2001 the states spent $18.6 billion in TANF funds, some $2 billion more than their federal grants. An increase is urgently needed — at least enough to catch up with inflation. Also, the block grant should be indexed to keep up with future inflation. In 2002, inflation takes 11 cents out of every TANF dollar. In 2007, it's projected to take 22 cents.

Suggested actions

With its Making a Noise About the Need campaign, NETWORK has helped shift the congressional focus from welfare reduction to poverty reduction. NETWORK invites CTA members to take action:

• Sign up to be a “noisemaker” at the NETWORK website: www.networklobby.org/noisemakers/index.html. You will receive monthly updates on actions you can take individually or with groups. Sample letters to Congress and the media are included, as well as a prayer.

• Use NETWORK’s Legislative Action Center to send your legislators a letter. Log on to http://capwiz.com/networklobby/home/. Enter your zip code under the elected officials headline and choose the letter about increased TANF funding.

• Come to NETWORK’s Lobby Day May 16 in Washington. Get a briefing on the status of welfare reform and plan out how to lobby your Member of Congress. In the afternoon there are lobby visits on the Hill, a debriefing meeting and a meal together. For more information, contact Jean Sammon at 202-547-5556 x29 or jsammon@networklobby.org