November 29th 2023.
The Biden administration is taking action to close the loopholes that have enabled states to misuse a federal program designed to help those in poverty. According to a ProPublica report, the Administration for Children and Families has proposed changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program that will be open for public comments until Dec. 1.
One of the major changes is that states can no longer take credit for charitable giving done by private organizations, such as churches and food banks. This means that, in Utah, for instance, the Mormon Church won't be able to run their own aid programs, which often forced people of different religions to partake in religious rituals. Now, the State of Utah will need to take responsibility for their actions and spend their own money.
The new rules are also aiming to reform child protective services funding. Some states, like Arizona, have used TANF funds to conduct aggressive investigations, whereas the new regulations will make sure that the funds are only used to help keep struggling families together.
Ashley Burnside, a senior policy analyst and TANF expert at the Center for Law and Policy, said that these new rules are a good start, but won't solve the problem completely. She commented that the regulations will create "guardrails so that more money actually gets to poor families".
One of the most scandalous cases of TANF misappropriation is from Mississippi. According to Mississippi Today, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and former Governor Phil Bryant allegedly conspired to funnel TANF money to help the University of Southern Mississippi build a new volleyball facility.
The Biden administration's proposal would require evidence that the money spent on TANF actually goes to the people it is supposed to. The statement reads: “We remind states that there is a large body of research that shows that cash assistance is a critically important tool for reducing family and child poverty. Studies have found that when families receive TANF and are more financially secure, they are less likely to be involved in the child welfare system.”
Overall, these new rules are an important step to ensure that the TANF program is used to help those in need, and not to fund private organizations or other unrelated projects.
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