Republicans in House and Senate Offer Serious Welfare Reform

Today, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced H.R. 1753, the Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act.  This legislation is focused on reforming the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program – a federal welfare program that offers temporary cash benefits to working parents:

Upon introduction of this bill, Rep. Brady released the following statement:

“Following the GOP tax cuts, our economy continues to soar, with wages rising at their fastest pace in a decade and near 50-year low unemployment.  There are a record 7.3 million job openings, and millions of folks on the sidelines who we need – and want – to take part in this expanding economy.  While our Democrat colleagues in the House continue their rush to impeachment, Republicans continue to advance policies focused on the dignity of work, ensuring low-income families have every opportunity to climb the economic ladder.  This proposal builds on that by reforming our nation’s cash-for-work welfare program, refocusing this important program on the outcome of parents getting and keeping a job.”

Sen. Daines added:

“Our welfare programs should be a springboard to work and self-sufficiency, not a sinkhole into government dependency.  My bill supports struggling low-income families and equips them with the skills and resources they need to find and keep a job – something that gives them hope, dignity, and a better future.”

Background: Last year, the House Ways and Means Committee passed H.R. 5861, a bill with the same title, led by then-Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith (R-NE).  This legislation, H.R. 1753, sponsored by Rep. Brady and Sen. Danies, as well as Rep. Smith, Republican Leader on the Ways and Means Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Jackie Walorski (R-IN), and 18 other Republicans, will help get more parents into good-paying jobs in a few key ways:

• We extend the program for five years, as well as child care and related programs;
• Our bill ensures no one gets ignored or is left on the sidelines by requiring states to engage with every individual;
• It measures work outcomes to hold states accountable for the intended purpose of the program;
• We limit the use of funds to families who truly need it the most by requiring monthly income to be below 200% of the poverty level;
• The legislation focuses on work and activities that lead to work, ultimately creating the building blocks for people’s success; and
• We rename the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS), to underscore our commitment to these reforms.

Additionally, the following bills proposed in the 116^th Congress from Ways and Means Republicans are included in the JOBS for Success Act:

• H.R. 1476, sponsored by Rep. Walorski, the Coordinating Assistance for TANF Recipients Act;
• H.R. 1245, sponsored by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), the Improving Access to Child Care Act;
• H.R. 1247, sponsored by Rep. LaHood, the Supporting Work through Apprenticeships Act;
• H.R. 1246, sponsored by Rep. LaHood, the Improving Access to Work Act;
• H.R. 1490, sponsored by Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), the Helping Americans Succeed by Measuring Outcomes Act;
• Still pending bill number, sponsored by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), theProtecting Family Resources and Training Options Act;
• H.R. 1469, sponsored by Rep. David Schwiekert (R-AZ), the Improving Transparency in TANF through Data Act;
• H.R. 1413, sponsored by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), the Workforce Opportunity Realignment Kickstart Act or the ‘‘WORK Act”; and
• H.R. 1473, sponsored by Rep. Adrian Smith, the Focusing State Efforts to Expand Opportunity Act.

The following Ways and Means Republicans were original cosponsors of the JOBS for Success Act:

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX), Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA), and Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS).

The following House Republicans were also original cosponsors of the JOBS for Success Act:

Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Rep. Daniel Meuser (R-PA), Rep. Williams Timmons (R-SC), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT), Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI), and Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV).

CLICK HERE to learn more about the proposal.