During Tuesday’s House and Ways Committee hearing, Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) questioned Kathryn Larin, the director of education, workforce, and income security at the Government Accountability Office, about the workforce trainings held by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Ms. Chu, and I'll recognize Mr. Miller of Ohio.
00:06Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this critical hearing aimed at lifting
00:09Americans out of poverty and ensuring that the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
00:14or TANF, known as non-assistant funding, is focused on helping low-income families have
00:19a step up toward economic independence.
00:22Since coming to Congress, one of my primary objectives has been to strengthen tools for
00:26individuals to have access to the education and training needed to compete in today's
00:31workforce.
00:32As discussed, the purpose of TANF is to provide time-limited cash assistance to eligible low-income
00:38families with children, promoting self-sufficiency.
00:41In addition to cash assistance, participants may receive other supportive services such
00:46as job training, food assistance, transportation, and other resources with a mission of lifting
00:52individuals up to achieve their potential and provide economic security.
00:57TANF provides about $16.5 billion annually to states to help millions of low-income individuals
01:02and families.
01:04In fiscal year of 22, states spent more than 44% of federal TANF and state funds on non-assistant
01:10services.
01:11The Ohio, through an Ohio TANF program, Ohio Works Force, OWF, provides eligible low-income
01:18recipients with such benefits with a focus on workforce training tools.
01:23Also in my state of Ohio, non-cash assistance is delivered under the state's TANF block grant
01:28and provides emergency hunger relief by area food banks to the underserved and low-wage
01:33working parents, supplying nearly 2,000 local food pantries through pass-through TANF funding.
01:39I am grateful for the work of this subcommittee as well as the Government Accountability Office,
01:43known as GAO, to provide a closer look at how states use and account for TANF funds more
01:48effectively.
01:49Toward that end, I was proud to co-lead with Rep Carey the Improved Transparency and Stability
01:54for Families and Children's Act, targeted at timely mannered delivery of services while
01:59bringing needed transparency to the system.
02:03To Ms. Lahren, in GAO report, HHS could facilitate information sharing to improve states' use of
02:10data on job training and other services.
02:12GAO examined a sample of seven states that noted, in Ohio specifically, resources were
02:18deployed for job readiness, training, resume writing, and interview preparation, among other
02:23workplace skills.
02:25In addition, the report noted Ohio's benefit bridge program is supported in part by 15 million
02:31in TANF non-assistance funds.
02:33The benefit bridge assists low-income individuals who do not meet certain eligibility requirements
02:38to pay for services such as transit, allowances, or additional job training.
02:43How do these TANF non-assistance workforce training programs help build labor skills, capabilities
02:48toward self-sufficiency, and economic security?
02:51Yeah.
02:52These programs really are critical.
02:54I mean, the second goal of the TANF program is to promote self-sufficiency through work.
03:02So it is one of the main purposes of the program, and these are the programs at the local level
03:07that help to achieve that.
03:10What we found is that states are, some states are doing a better job than others at collecting
03:16data on participants, and using that data to improve their programs.
03:21Make sure they're working.
03:22Make sure that they are actually achieving those goals.
03:25Which is why we recommended that HHS facilitate information sharing among states so they can
03:30learn from each other.
03:32And good practices that are going on, such as those in Ohio, can be shared with other states
03:36so there is more accountability and transparency.
03:40So Ohio leads the way?
03:42Yes?
03:43No?
03:44Maybe?
03:45Yes or no?
03:46Yes.
03:47I'll take it as a yes.
03:48Ms. Summerlop, welcome, as you know in your testimony, Ohio Works First in Prevention,
03:55Retention, and Contingency PRC's program goals to help families retain employment in order
04:00to divert them from needed long-term cash assistance.
04:04Please share further how this and the Ohio Benefit Bridge Program help individuals access
04:08job training and associated needs, such as transportation and other challenges to entering the workforce.
04:14Really quick.
04:15Really quick.
04:16OH?
04:17IO.
04:18There we go.
04:19All right.
04:20Yes.
04:21Quickly, in both programs, PRC and the Benefit Bridge, the first step is, again, evaluating what
04:30people have already and then building a plan to strengthen their situation, often including
04:39employment and training.
04:40So, typically, along a career path, usually healthcare, manufacturing, in-demand occupations,
04:47but education and training is always part of the plan.
04:52Thank you, Ms. Summerlop.
04:53Mr. Chairman, I have more questions I'll submit for the record, but it seems as if Ohio leads
04:58the way.
04:59I yield back.
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