National Day of Action in the Nation’s Capital Calls on President Bush to Provide Stronger Support for Welfare Reform
Feature Story by Grace McDonough - 3/8/2002
WASHINGTON, DC – Welfare recipients, ineligible poor and national civil rights and social justice leaders came together March 5 to oppose President Bush’s proposal for reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program (TANF). Speaking during a press conference held Tuesday at the Russell Senate office building, Wade Henderson, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), avowed, “Any welfare reauthorization proposal must adhere to fundamental principles of equality, fairness and social justice, and increase the chances for all families in need to move permanently out of poverty.” Of the Bush Administration’s proposal, Henderson declared, it “simply misses the mark.”Last week, President Bush revealed his proposal for TANF reauthorization and, in doing so, sparked a nationwide debate concerning the best strategies for welfare reform. TANF, the welfare reform program originally enacted in 1996, expires this year and must be reauthorized by Congress.
The Administration’s recent TANF reauthorization proposal would, many feel, serve only to make an already inadequate program worse. Among the contentious points of the President’s proposal are the facts that reauthorization would not include any funding increase to account for inflation; that it does include an increase in work requirements but without addressing the subsequent need for additional child care, education or training; and that the President wants to maintain the five-year ban on benefits for legal immigrants.
“We need good policy, not punishment,” proclaimed Ron Steif of the United Church of Christ. Steif, calling the recommended provisions “anti-family,” urged the President to focus not just on individuals’ status as welfare recipients, but on their dignity as human beings – a goal Steif obviously feels the Administration is far from achieving.
Joining the community leaders and activists in expressing concern over the President’s proposal is Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. In a written statement, Senator Daschle stated, “It takes more than a strong economy to turn lives around. It takes strong support. If we’re going to require mothers to work, we also need to make sure they can find the child care that will allow them to do so.” The President’s proposal requires more work hours for single parents, but makes no accommodation for the resulting increased need for child care.
Senator Daschle also underscores the folly in withholding benefits from legal immigrants and trying to force states into inflexible programs. “To suggest that other support [for immigrant families] – like temporary TANF benefits – encourages dependency is ridiculous,” says Senator Daschle. “ I also worry that the President’s proposal may push states to adopt one-size-fits-all programs rather than encourage states to do more to meet the specific needs of each family.”
The President’s proposal for TANF reauthorization raises concern on many levels, principally because, as stipulated, it would fail to accomplish its primary goal: helping families to work toward independence. As Stewart Campbell stated at Tuesday’s press conference, “Under the President’s plan, it will be more difficult to escape poverty, not easier.”
In addition to the press conference, Tuesday’s National Day of Action included a rally of hundreds on The Mall and several smaller demonstrations on The Hill all in support of stronger Federal involvement in nationwide poverty reduction.
