The Honorable Ron Wyden
Chairman
Senate Committee on Finance
2221 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Jason Smith
Chairman
House Committee on Ways and Means
1011 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Mike Crapo
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Finance
239 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Richard Neal
Ranking Member
House Committee on Ways and Means
372 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Wyden, Ranking Member Crapo, Chairman Smith, and Ranking Member Neal,
As representatives of the nation’s public agencies responsible for state and local workforce and health and human services systems, we are writing to express our urgent request to Congress to provide a one- year extension to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, effective through September 2024.
TANF is a critical program providing funding to state and local governments to support the economic mobility of families experiencing poverty with benefits and services. Through TANF funding, families receive economic supports to meet their basic needs, employment and training skills that provide families with sustaining wages, child care and other vital services.
Congress last reauthorized TANF in 2005 and has renewed the program through a series of short-term extensions, creating significant uncertainty about the availability of funds for state and local governments tasked with administering the program. A full-year extension of TANF is necessary to ensure agencies on the ground have the capacity to continue to serve families and children.
The need for a full-year extension is especially pronounced due to recent passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA; PL 118-5) in June 2023, which authorized changes to TANF’s employment and education outcome-based measures. State and local agencies are working hard to faithfully implement these new program requirements while providing essential services to program participants. As we continue to navigate these changes, we urge Congress to pass a one-year extension to support implementation of the FRA while minimizing disruptions in TANF service delivery for families and children.
Please contact Christine Johnson at cjohnson@aphsa.org for further information or with any questions.
Sincerely,
Tracy Wareing Evans, President and CEO, American Public Human Services Association
David Adkins, Executive Director/CEO, The Council of State Governments
Marc Ott, Executive Director, International City/County Management Association
Matthew Chase, CEO/Executive Director, National Association of Counties
Dan Makelky, President, National Association of County Human Service Administrators
Scott Sanders, President and CEO, National Association of State Workforce Agencies
Brad Turner-Little, CEO, National Association of Workforce Boards
Tim Storey, Executive Director, National Conference of State Legislatures
Bill McBride, Executive Director, National Governors Association
Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director, National League of Cities
