Manitowoc County’s Congressman in Washington is throwing his support behind a bill surrounding the program Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Congressman Glenn Grothman says TANF provides $16 billion a year in taxpayer money to help low-income families get back on their feet.
However, the Glenbeulah Republican says the program lacks basic accountability measures applied to other programs.
“In fact, TANF is one of the few federal programs not required to record an annual improper payment rate,” he explained. “That’s an encouragement to fraud.”
Rep. Grothman says the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act brings accountability by requiring states to report improper payments.
He also said it’s Congress’s job to make sure every tax dollar is spent effectively.
“Reducing waste and fraud is not about weakening assistance to families in need,” he stated. “It’s about protecting those programs, so they reach the parents and children who truly depend upon them.”
The bill, originally introduced by Ohio Representative Mike Carey, would establish an eligibility threshold for TANF-funded services and set an upper limit on eligibility for all assistance and services.
H.R. 8872 is currently postponed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
