FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 8, 2005 |
CONTACT: Steve Forde or Kevin Smith Telephone: (202) 225-4527 |
House Approves Short-Term Financial Relief for Many Families Impacted by Hurricane Katrina
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation to provide assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina whose employment and training have been disrupted as a result of the tragedy. The House passed the TANF Emergency Response & Recovery Act (H.R. 3672) without opposition. The bill adds additional funds and flexibility to the federal Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) grant program, which provides financial resources to residents in need of temporary economic assistance.
“Our primary concern right now is to ensure that families in the Gulf Coast region can focus on putting their lives back together, and giving affected states more flexibility and additional resources will help them provide immediate assistance to those in need,” said Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH). “This measure marks another step in the long process that Congress will continue in the coming weeks and months to address the needs of all those impacted by the tragedy.”
The TANF Emergency Response & Recovery Act provides all states immediate access to TANF funds currently not scheduled for release until October 1, 2005. This accounts for $4.2 billion in flexible funds that would be distributed to all states upon enactment of H.R. 3672, rather than in several weeks. The legislation also would provide a 20 percent increase in TANF funds for states impacted by Hurricane Katrina and waives federal work requirements and time limits for Gulf Coast residents in need of short-term TANF benefits as a result of the hurricane.
“Residents of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region have endured an unthinkable tragedy already, and this measure will provide many of them quicker and more flexible short-term relief,” said Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA). “This bill is another important step the House has taken this week to assist our region’s monumental relief and recovery effort.”
“This legislation responds to an important need of many of my constituents who have had their livelihoods thrown into uncertainty by Hurricane Katrina,” noted Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA). “There is still much more work to be done on a variety of fronts, but we are beginning to take the first steps to cut through the red tape to provide compassionate relief to people who have already endured so much."
“Passage of this measure demonstrates the House’s commitment to acting quickly and decisively on short-term financial relief for residents impacted by an emergency situation,” said Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee. “The immediate needs of residents of the Gulf Coast are our primary concern, and this legislation is a clear reflection of that.” # # # # # |