TANF Tanks, Affecting Thousands of American Workers

In order to assist the millions of jobless Americans during our recent “Great Recession,” Congress used stimulus funding to buttress Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs (or TANF) in states across the country aimed at assisting them to provide work for people with children. Unfortunately, if you or someone you know has been helped by the TANF Emergency Fund, not unlike the hundreds of thousands of other families across the country, your support is about to run out.

According to a report by The Huffington Post, “Congress is set to increase unemployment by not reauthorizing a fund for a subsidized jobs program that will expire on September 30, jeopardizing 240,000 jobs in 37 states ‘Unless Congress extends the fund, tens of thousands of people across the country will lose jobs -- potentially raising the unemployment rate in places with particularly large programs, such as Illinois and Los Angeles,’ writes LaDonna Pavetti of the progressive Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. In May, the House approved a bill that would have reauthorized funding for the TANF Emergency Fund program, but the "tax extenders" measure crumbled in the Senate over deficit concerns from the right. Senate Democrats eventually dropped the TANF funding, as well as $16 billion in Medicaid assistance to states, in an effort to pass an urgent reauthorization of unemployment benefits, which lapsed for 2.5 million people before Democrats finally succeeded in breaking a Republican filibuster last week.”

As a result, the irony is that a win for many jobless Americans in terms of unemployment benefits extensions is now a loss for many others who may now need them. And not unlike Congressional justifications for dragging feet on unemployment benefits extensions, many are touting that the end of TANF is important to prevent a situation where the poorest citizens have incentives not to work.

But for many hardworking Americans, simply trying to scrape by, and many politicians outside of an election-year Congress, this justification for reducing stimulus while the economy continues to sputter, simply doesn’t add up. In fact, state leaders and lawmakers are advocating for a TANF program they believe is a silver lining to the dark cloud of stimulus failures, creating local jobs precisely when and where people most need them. As San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome wrote about TANF, as accounted for in America’s largest economy in California, “The new jobs bill is an enormous opportunity for lawmakers to give a boost to a program from the stimulus that LA and San Francisco are using to create thousands of jobs.”

Still, many can’t wait for the legislative branch to right the wrongs of a three-year recession. As a result, many are taking things into their own hands to address their financial woes and take back their fiscal freedoms through the benefits of bankruptcy. These people—whether employed or jobless— know that bankruptcy is their only shot to discharge personal debt  and other lingering financial problems such as foreclosures, repossessions and evictions.

If this sounds like you and you’ve already found yourself in dire straits just as America faces another stimulus shortfall, knowing a qualified bankruptcy attorney is the first best step to help you regain your power, conquer creditors and face your financial fears, yielding—all with the right kinds of support, information and insights—at a low cost— for a viable and secure future.  The bankruptcy experts at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt offer a totally FREE debt consultation and now, more than ever, it’s time to take them up on their offer. Just call toll free to +1-833-627-0115, or during the off hours, you can make your own appointment right online at www.billsbills.com. Simply click on the yellow “FREE Consultation Now” button.