May 22, 2002

Dear Brothers in Christ:  Christ's Peace!

 There is an urgent issue currently before Congress that merits
our attention and active intervention. This is the reauthorization of
the federal welfare program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
(TANF).

    In 1996, our federal welfare policy was transformed with the
creation of TANF. Under this new approach, states received block grants
from the federal government to design their own programs according to
federal guidelines to provide assistance to persons living in poverty.
State programs were required to link the receipt of benefits to
employment. Recipients had to get a job or they would lose their
benefits. Time limits were imposed on the receipt of benefits. Over a
lifetime those in need could receive federal TANF benefits for a total
of only five years, although some states cut it to two years or less.
Touted as a way to end 'welfare dependency', TANF was passed for a 5
year period and is now scheduled for reauthorization.

    In the debate surrounding TANF, a primary focus has been the
reduction of caseloads, the number of persons enrolled in the program.
Our United States bishops have made it clear that we cannot be satisfied
simply with reducing caseloads. Instead, our focus must be on reducing
poverty, and more specifically on helping persons move from poverty to
self-sufficiency. "....We believe a central goal for TANF
reauthorization should be to address the moral scandal of so much
poverty in the richest nation on earth."

    Efforts to make TANF a program that will help move persons from
poverty to self-sufficiency recently suffered a significant setback in
the House of Representatives. The House passed TANF legislation that
contained two pernicious provisions. One provision will allow a handful
of states to request block grants to operate food stamps. This would
lock in funding for food stamps at this year's level, even though
Congress recently passed legislation that would increase such funding by
$6.4 billion over ten years. A second provision will authorize the
executive branch of the federal government to grant a 'super waiver' to
state governments that would allow them to divert federal funds from
food stamps to other programs.

The problems with both of these
provisions is that they could substantially weaken the Food Stamp
program which remains one of the principal means of protecting persons
against hunger. The House bill also increases work requirements without
addressing the problems presented with meeting those requirements in a
weakened economy. It must also be noted that some persons will need
education, counseling or rehabilitation before they can be reasonably
expected to enter the mainstream of the American economy. Increased work
requirements rigidly imposed could prevent them from obtaining the help
they need.

 It is essential that each of us write to our senators as soon as
possible to tell them that the TANF legislation passed by the House is
unacceptable in its current form. These are the principles we want to
see embodied in a reauthorized TANF program:   [ Continue...... ]