IWS Updates

The debt ceiling agreement that President Biden signed into law includes several provisions that will restrict access to TANF and SNAP.

• By changing TANF's caseload reduction credit baseline year from 2005 to 2015 and setting a minimum of $35 for supplemental payments to count toward a state’s work participation rate, the new rules will make it harder for states to meet their work participation rates. (You can read more about the TANF work participation rate in our CLASP TANF 101 policy brief here). The bill also will require all states to report new performance measures to the Department of Health and Human Services. Finally, the bill starts a pilot program that allows up to five states to implement new outcome measures in their TANF program—a promising step.
• The agreement will put almost 750,000 older adults at risk of losing food assistance by expanding SNAP’s so-called work requirement to people ages 50-54. These requirements primarily serve to limit people’s access to programs. They don’t equip people with tools or employment that allow them to leave poverty and reach financial stability. Democrats accepted this expansion in exchange for provisions that exempt people experiencing homelessness, former foster youth, and veterans from reporting requirements. While a victory in theory, systemic barriers (e.g., acquiring quality health insurance that enables a disabled person to affordably secure a diagnosis) often block people experiencing poverty from proving that they are eligible for an exemption. Thankfully, Medicaid avoided any new work-reporting requirements. 

Last month, the Senate advanced a measure under the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Biden Administration’s 2022 public charge rule in a vote of 50-47. Although this is yet another disheartening attack on immigrants, the Biden Administration has reaffirmed its commitment to veto any attempts to turn this attack into law. What this means for immigrants is there is no change to the actual public charge rule: they will continue to have access to public benefits programs. CLASP released this statement in response to the Senate’s resolution.

That being said, we take any attack on immigrant families seriously and are committed to mounting an effective defense. The Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) coalition put together this organizational sign-on letter, formally expressing opposition to this resolution. The letter will be shared in a variety of contexts, including with congressional offices, journalists, and on social media. By signing on, you will also be alerted when and if the legislation advances in the House.  

We will publish an IWS newsletter every two months instead of once a month!