•      "Washington’s abject failure to protect tax dollars has resulted in an unprecedented scale of fraud that threatens not only the sustainability of our safety net programs, but also the future economic viability of our nation. This problem is strikingly clear in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, where federal funds are administered by state governments with no federal oversight, leaving billions of dollars in taxpayer funding vulnerable to fraud and improper payments every year. That’s why I introduced the Eliminating Fraud and Improper Payments in TANF Act, which I was proud to see included in the legislative package to reform TANF that was advanced by the Ways and Means Committee. This critical legislation will provide much-needed oversight of the TANF program and ensure that the federal government is fulfilling its responsibility to safeguard American tax dollars." Source: Rep. Jodey Arrington (Republican, Texas, District 19)

•      "This legislation goes further than simply cracking down on payment errors. Commonsense guardrails ensure TANF funds reach families in need rather than being diverted through budgetary gimmicks or left sitting unused for years. The bill’s clearly defined eligibility cap at 200% of the federal poverty line addresses loopholes states can use to divert funds to unrelated programs. Furthermore, this bill prevents states from using TANF as a federal slush fund by prohibiting federal dollars from supplanting their own spending. Finally, the bill ensures resources are deployed efficiently by limiting the accumulation of unspent reserves." Source: National Taxpayers Union

•      "The GAO recommended that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—which oversees TANF—creates more stringent controls to track the money being spent. However, “HHS has indicated its oversight of states’ use of TANF funds is constrained by its limited statutory authority. … current law limits what information HHS can collect from states. H.R. 8872 helps solve this problem by requiring states to comply with federal payment-integrity rules similar to those currently imposed on federal agencies. The legislation also limits how states can spend TANF money by requiring that assistance only go to families earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. In addition, states would have to use TANF funds more quickly: obligating funds within one fiscal year and spending them within two years, while only allowing a limited reserve of unused funds. The legislation also tries to prevent states from using federal TANF dollars to replace their own spending commitments. States would be required to certify that federal funds are supplementing—not supplanting—state or local expenditures. In practice, this would constrain states’ flexibility to shift TANF funds into broader (and often wasteful) budget priorities and would push states to maintain more of their own welfare-related spending. The bill further directs HHS to develop a long-term strategy for reducing improper TANF payments nationwide." Source: Taxpayers Protection Alliance