Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Tanf Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CAREY. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for the opportunity to talk about some commonsense reforms to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

For context, TANF is a bipartisan program that was created over 30 years ago to help struggling families get back on their feet. The program supports families with their immediate needs while promoting a path toward work and self-sufficiency. Taxpayers deserve to have confidence that their tax dollars are being used effectively and as intended.

This is what the Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act actually does. It improves clarity about the integrity of funds, targets assistance to the most vulnerable, and confirms that funds are actually spent. That is what it does.

Without additional safeguards, TANF will remain vulnerable to bad actors. This not only harms the taxpayers but even more so the families who actually need the help.

Congressional Republicans are committed to preventing waste, fraud, and abuse. Ohioans' own Vice President JD Vance and the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud have the exact same goal. The changes proposed in H.R. 8872 will support both of these efforts.

Ultimately, the Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act is about strengthening accountability. H.R. 8872 does not do this by imposing any cuts whatsoever. It doesn't impose any cuts whatsoever.

What this bill really does is ensure that more assistance is actually provided. It preserves the program's flexibility for States to utilize funds in ways that meet the needs of their communities while making sure that the resources are not wasted, misused, or diverted.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and its noncontroversial proposals to strengthen TANF for the future of our next generations.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source