The Office of Senator Chuck Grassley issued the following information today in response to comments made by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney about waivers to the federal welfare program's work requirements being supported in 2003 by Senator Grassley.
Senator Grassley's demonstrated goal for the TANF program has been to make work requirements stronger.
As Chairman of the Finance Committee in 2003, Senator Grassley authored and won passage of a reauthorization bill reflecting that goal. The legislation didn't push for work waivers, as suggested by Jay Carney. The only broad waiver authority in the Grassley bill was for a 10-state demonstration project to improve the coordination and delivery of services by TANF, the Social Services Block Grant, and child care services. This project was specifically objected to by every Democratic senator serving on the Finance Committee in the Minority Views expressed in Finance Committee Report 108-162. Ironically, in light of the current executive branch's interest in controlling waivers, the Minority Views call the super-waiver demonstration "an ill-considered attempt to cede Congressional authority to the Executive branch." The Views are attached. The Views include objections to the bill as a whole such as "not enough flexibility for states," "higher hour standards," and not enough flexibility for education and rehabilitation. No Democratic senator voted for the legislation in committee. On the Senate floor, the Democratic caucus launched a filibuster against the legislation.
As far as work requirements, then-Chairman Grassley's 2003 legislation increased required participation hours from 30 to 34 per week and set a hard cap on the state-determined participation rate, in contrast to the Obama administration's apparent current effort to reduce work requirements and to do so without any proper authority.
Carney remarks:
Carney-- weds: 13:14:56 to address hypocritical criticism I have been surprised by it as... By the hypocrisy of our critics since many of them have in the past supported and even proposed such waivers -- Governor Romney, Governor Barbour, Governor Huckabee, Secretary Tommy Thompson and Senator Grassley -- all supported these kinds of waivers for states in the past. In a 2005 letter to the Senate Republicans governors including then Governor Romney requested such waivers. Under President George W. Bush, HHS Secretary Thompson put forward a proposal that would allow quote "super waivers" in the program. The Senate under republican control at the time passed a bill authored by Senator Grassley with broad waiver authority. And just last year, states led by democrats and republicans including Nevada and Utah called for these waivers.. these very waivers so they could have more flexibility to get more people back to work faster. So given this long documented history of bipartisan support it is surprising to say the least to see this kind of flip flopping on the part of republicans. 13:16:08
