(DES MOINES) – On Monday, Gov. Terry Branstad sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing his concerns over the weakening of work requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
In the letter, Gov. Branstad states, “I am concerned that your Department has watered down the most powerful element of the welfare reform efforts – a clear expectation that those who get temporary help from their fellow citizens must become self-sufficient through work in a timely manner.”
Gov. Branstad, along with Govs. Thompson of Wisconsin and Englar of Michigan, helped lead a bipartisan effort to reform welfare in the mid-1990s. Together, they worked with Congress and President Clinton to pass the landmark legislation.
Gov. Branstad continued: “The work requirements in TANF have been successful in Iowa. In 1996 when work requirements were implemented, Iowa had more than 86,000 Iowans on TANF. Today, Iowa has just over 43,000 Iowans on TANF. Work requirements have been instrumental in serving Iowans in this program.”
The governor also wrote, “Simply put, we believe the work requirements have led to greater long-term success for Iowans and the management of our TANF program.”
Gov. Branstad in releasing the letter said, “I understand President Obama while an Illinois State Senator opposed the Federal welfare reform efforts. The success of the reform efforts is evident across Iowa and the nation. However, that success did not prevent President Obama’s administration and HHS from diminishing the power that clear work and training expectations can play in improving peoples’ lives.”
More job-killing government regulations! Why does the governor support MORE REGULATIONS!??!
Are you kidding me??? You must be one of the bloodsuckers that he is trying to exterminate..
You never know this would clean out some of the scum Mason City is dealing with. Ain’t this what Wisconsin did years ago?
Good move Gov, but I doubt that anything will become of it. The Feds like spending my money any way they can. When it comes to giving out money for not doing anything they’re experts at it. What ever happened to the good old American hard work ethic, a days work for a days pay.
Way don’t they pass a law ..for whoever is on the program be drug test before they go on it …it would clear up a lot of money
Florida did just that and it cost the state more than $600,000 and saved them about $60,000. Believe it or not most welfare recipients are not on drugs. There is a very small minority who cheat the system. This is a classic case of a few bad apples spoiling the rest. Most want to get off welfare as soon as they can. They find it embarrassing to be on it. And many that get off of welfare give back to the charities that helped them.
Unless the state has some probable cause to believe your are on drugs, they can’t test you.
Florida tried it with all public housing tenants. Nope, couldn’t do it.