Protecting TANF Funding for Pregnancy Centers
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides $16.5 billion in federal funding to states for direct cash assistance and non-assistance activities to provide assistance to needy families. The purpose of TANF is to allow children to be cared for in their home, end the dependency of needy parents on the government, reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies, and encourage the formation of two-parent families.
The Biden-Harris administration's Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a rule that could restrict states from using TANF funding for pregnancy centers, and encourages funding to go to facilities that provide abortions. I believe women who face an unexpected pregnancy should be able to safely go into a facility that is not going to push abortion on them and instead provide them with the education and support they need. Pregnancy centers offer a wide array of services and support for expectant mothers, fathers, and their families, and I have introduced legislation to ensure these facilities can continue to receive TANF funding.
The Ways and Means Committee spoke with expert witnesses TANF reform and what Congress can do to cut down on fraud and abuse in the program, and I asked these experts if they believed the services offered by pregnancy centers fell within the scope of TANF. The response was a resounding YES.
You can watch my full conversation with Mr. Adolphson, the Policy Director for the Foundation of Government Accountability, here. He wisely points out that if there is any vague language in statute, bureaucrats will make the laws, and more responsibility should be given to the states.
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