Prepared Statement by Chris
Koyanagi,
Policy Director at the Bazelon Center for Mental
Health Law
on House Passage of TANF Reauthorization
Washington, DC (May 16) - When Congress passed the
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Act in 1996, the
goal was to empower Americans who had been trapped in a cycle
of poverty and joblessness - not punish them for the system's
failures. Six years later, it looks as if the House of
Representatives will choose to abandon this principle with
TANF's reauthorization.
House members have chosen to impose draconian work
requirements that will almost certainly mean that some
individuals with disabilities will lose access to essential
benefits they currently receive under the TANF program.
There is absolutely no recognition in this legislation that
there is a group of TANF recipients who face extraordinary
barriers to employment, such as mental illness and substance
addiction. In fact, adults who receive TANF benefits were
three times more likely to have at least one physical or
mental health impairment than adults not receiving benefits
under the program, according to a recent study by the General
Accounting Office.
Mental impairments can make it difficult to work. Worse,
states sometimes sanction adults with mental illnesses for
failing to understand or comply with state rules on TANF
eligibility even if the failure results from their
disability.
Individuals with disabilities should be empowered to work,
but they need access to supports to do it. The bill does
nothing to address this problem, but instead increases the
requirements for work and pressures states to put more
emphasis on placing people in jobs. Helping individuals who
face major barriers to employment - such as those with mental
illness - is not even discussed in the House bill.
Parents in the program who have children with a mental
impairment would also be stung by the bill's new work
requirements. Finding appropriate childcare for these children
can be a challenge and many parents must miss work to deal
with incidents related to their child's condition. Needless to
say, it's difficult to meet the bill's new work standards
under these conditions.
Ironically, the legislation is being touted as "pro-family"
legislation, even though the legislation would require moms
with children under six to work double the number of hours
required under the current law.
Today's action in the House was a slap in the face to those
who believe in the promise of welfare reform. Rather than
empowering citizens with mental illness to secure meaningful
employment, the House has instead chosen to punish some of our
country's most vulnerable and marginalized people.
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The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the leading
civil rights advocacy group representing people with mental
illness and mental retardation. Through precedent-setting
litigation and in the public-policy arena, the center works to
define and uphold the rights of adults and children who rely
on public services and ensure them equal access to health and
mental health care, education, housing and
employment. | 
