Today, the Ways and Means Committee advanced Congressman Jason Smith’s bill, H.R. 2966, the Reducing Poverty through Employment Act, during a committee markup. Smith’s bill creates a new core purpose under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to explicitly recognize that the best way out of poverty is employment.
U.S. Rep. Jason Smith’s Reducing Poverty through Employment Act advanced by the Ways and Means Committee
H.R. 2966 empowers states to help families escape poverty
Today, the Ways and Means Committee advanced Congressman Jason Smith’s bill, H.R. 2966, the Reducing Poverty through Employment Act, during a committee markup. Smith’s bill creates a new core purpose under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to explicitly recognize that the best way out of poverty is employment.
Prior to the Ways and Means Committee markup, Smith stated, “This legislation is simple, straight forward, and sound policy. It’s a subtle change to the program that will empower states to help families escape poverty and provide a better future for their children. I urge Members of the Committee to support it with the recognition that it is a solid step toward more comprehensive reforms in the future.”
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) said, "Congressman Jason Smith’s bill will reaffirm what we have all known about this program - that it should be focused on reducing child poverty and the best way to do that is by increasing job opportunities for their parents.”
Under current law, TANF does not currently have an explicit focus on reducing poverty through employment despite evidence suggesting that the number one indicator of poverty is lack of a job. Smith’s bill will create a new core purpose of TANF for states to act on: to reduce child poverty by increasing employment entry, retention and advancement of low-income parents- promoting a greater focus on finding work to help families move up the economic ladder.
After the Ways and Means Committee advanced Smith’s bill, Smith commented, “I am honored my colleagues on the Committee chose to advance the legislation and the movement of my bill is a step in the right direction as we continue work to increase poverty reform to help families around the country escape poverty. The simple fact is that work is the way out of poverty. I want to provide those trapped in poverty a hand-up, not a hand-out.”
Congressman Smith’s district is the 14th most economically distressed community in the country and of the 30 counties he represents, 26 have poverty rates above Missouri’s state average. Rep. Smith has taken an active role in welfare reform, making it a top priority of his to combat poverty by helping Americans get back to work.
