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The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Bush:
As you decide on the priorities of your Administration for the next four years, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) urges you to give careful consideration to a number of issues within the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture that are extremely important to state legislators. As a bipartisan organization whose members are keenly aware of how federal decisions impact the lives of America's families, we are ready to work with you on the issues raised below.
The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant
The bold reform of welfare in 1996 has been very successful. Welfare caseloads have declined by more than 50% since the implementation of PRWORA (the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act). More recipients are in the labor force. This success is the result of a federal and state partnership. Making use of the flexibility given us in the 1999 TANF regulations, states have implemented creative strategies to assist both TANF recipients and the working poor. We hope that you will firmly support full funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant.
The TANF supplemental grants were designed to ensure that certain states with rapidly growing populations had adequate resources to carry out the goals of the TANF program. TANF supplemental allocations should be made for the next fiscal year to ensure that states can continue the progress of welfare reform and to allow time to deal with this issue during welfare reform reauthorization.
As the 2002 reauthorization approaches, state legislators will have TANF funding and flexibility to administer the TANF program as their highest priorities. A key feature of the law was the devolution to the states of decision-making authority. NCSL requests that members of your domestic policy staff and HHS officials meet with a small group of legislators early in the reauthorization process. This would be an ideal opportunity to discuss state issues and concerns before you finalize your reauthorization proposal.
The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG, Title XX of the Social Security Act)
SSBG funds are a vital part of the delivery of community and home-based services to the most vulnerable segments of society including the disabled, elderly, and children in need of protective services. NCSL urges you to fund the SSBG at the $2.38 billion level as agreed to as part of the enactment of the 1996 welfare reform act. In addition, it is critical that the amount states can transfer from their TANF grants to the SSBG remains at 10% and is not reduced.
Restoration of Benefits for Legal Immigrants
NCSL urges you to restore food and health benefits for legal immigrants and end a cost-shift to the states. The 1996 welfare reform law denied food stamps to all legal immigrants and their children and denied Medicaid to certain legal immigrants and their children. While NCSL supported the 1996 welfare reform law, NCSL opposed these particular provisions. NCSL believes that in so doing, the federal government abdicated its responsibility to fund the consequences of its decisions regarding immigration. To their credit, states rose to the challenge. Many states, for example, created their own food assistance programs or increased state funding to food banks. The 1996 immigration provisions had nothing to do with the fundamental goals of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program-- to promote self-sufficiency and family stability through a work-first, time-limited program. Efforts to restore food stamp benefits and ensure an option for states to provide Medicaid and SCHIP have bipartisan support. NCSL asks you to consider including funding for the restoration of benefits in your budget as way of helping hard-working new Americans and restoring equilibrium to the state/federal partnership.
Food Stamps
The food stamp program is in need of reform. NCSL is concerned that many working families whose income makes them eligible for food stamps are not receiving them. From 1994 to 1998, the participation rate fell from 71% to 59% of eligible individuals. Federal law is often a barrier to state innovation. Many times federal food stamp provisions are in conflict with state welfare reform efforts. While numerous factors influence the participation rate, NCSL believes that state outreach is hampered by fear of quality control errors. We urge you to consider changes in this program and to include NCSL in the discussion.
Waivers
As a general principle, NCSL encourages you to support waiver programs at U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture that allow states to implement innovative approaches to the delivery of human services programs. Waivers allow states to address the unique needs of their populations, and help the federal government discern best practices. Policy flexibility will result in better outcomes for our families and children.
Thank you for your attention to NCSL's concerns. NCSL is well aware that as a former governor, you understand the need for flexibility and partnership in delivering services that benefit Americans in need. If you wish to discuss these issues further, please contact Sheri Steisel, Federal Affairs Counsel, in our Washington office. Sheri can be reached at (202) 624-8693, or at sheri.steisel@ncsl.org.
Sincerely, |
