State Auditor White testifies before U.S. House subcommittee on…

(Magnolia Tribune) – On Wednesday, Mississippi State Auditor appeared before the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare as part of a hearing titled “Where is all the Welfare Money Going? Reclaiming TANF Non-Assistance Dollars to Lift Americans Out of Poverty.”

White was joined by Tennessee Department of Human Services Clarence Carter, Missouri Department of Social Services Director Robert Knodell, Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam, and Springboard to Opportunities CEO Dr. Aisha Nyandoro.

Subcommittee Chairman Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Illinois) opened the hearing, saying, “Recently Republicans were able to secure a major victory with the Fiscal Responsibility Act which strengthened work requirements in the direct cash assistance portion of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.”

LaHood said the day’s hearing was meant to address non-assistance spending.

“Non-assistance funding constitutes the majority of the TANF Block Grant, nearly 78% of combined federal and state spending,” Congressman LaHood said. “This is spending that is not for basic assistance or direct checks to welfare recipients. Concerns have emerged that the non-assistance part of TANF lacks guardrails and is not focused on helping people move from welfare to work.”

LaHood said national headlines out of Mississippi have drawn increased (read entire story)