I’m sorry to say that it is a Democrat, who is responsible for the suffering this article describes. When Bill Clinton transformed welfare into a block grant program, he separated millions from the help they needed. You may ask why this is important after all these years. By examining what that caused, we can see the reasons why the Republican plan convert Medicaid to a block grant program is so vile.
On this day 15 years ago, President Bill Clinton signed a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s welfare system that enacted onerous work requirements on poor families before they could collect government aid. The new law fulfilled Republicans long-held desire to (in the words of President Clinton) “end welfare as we know it” by creating the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) “block grant” program.
The reform achieved its goal of reducing the number of families receiving federal aid: in the process, it also shredded America’s ability to help its neediest families during an economic downturn. The nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has released a series of charts illustrating that TANF has failed to keep pace with the needs of struggling American families, especially during this long and difficult recession: [see graph].
The number of low-income families receiving welfare has fallen from 68 percent in 1996 to 27 percent today. As the American Prospect’s Jake Blumgart noted, unlike the old system, which could respond to greater need when the economy went south, the TANF block grant program “provides an annual lump sum of $16.6 billion, with no allotted increases for recession, population growth, or rises in the cost of living.” It has even failed to keep up with inflation. In short, TANF’s ability to provide income support to those who need it most has declined dramatically… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
If Republicans get their way, the exact same things will happen to people who need Medicaid. Furthermore, block grant programs offer red state governors the opportunity to misallocate funds. And every penny spent on a poor person’s health needs is a penny Republicans can’t give to a billionaire.
11 Responses to “Why Republicans Love Block Grant Programs”
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Doesn’t matter in MI starting in October 12,500 families lose all state aid and assistance including food assistance and every day a new person hits their having received aid for 4 years then they too lose permanently for the rest of their life all state assistance. Including the state paid portion of Medicaid. GREAT stuff we are going to have a balanced budget in a couple f years, it will be the first since Fat John Engler emptied out aALL psychiatric hospitals and closed them down dumping 50,000 ill people on the streets of Detroit and Grand Rapids.
I guess a murder or two a day isn’t enough right now, I expect that to triple come November.
The people at fault for that are the ones that stayed home and cast “protest” votes.
We also have Clinton to thank for NAFTA, thereby creating our post-industrial economy of $7.35 hour jobs. Perhaps it was inevitable, but it has done more to decimate the middle class than anything I can think of (dangling preposition there, sorry).
NAFTA was started before Clinton but he finalized it. He and Hillary were honored and supported by an Indian version of the Chamber of Commerce. And he went on to create TANF. They both turned out to be corporate backed traitors to the cause.
Blue is right. Clinton adopted many Republican ideas to get their support on Congress.
The 5 year limit really screwed a lot of people in need, the majority of them children. If you participated in welfare to work what can you do after your 99 weeks of unemployment are over? You are SOL and picking up soda bottles to pay for gas money to find a job (assuming your state actually allows recycling).
Here in Oregon we have a bottle bill for drink bottles and cans. All can be redeemed for a nickel and street people make regular rounds of the down toen trash comtainers to salvage them.
I recall seeing Ross Perot outline NAFTA and what it would mean and do ,NAFTA was signed anyway…
I worked in community mental health– remember very well when TANF was inflicted on people and the awful damage done —
We tend to look back on the Clinton era with nostalgic longing– jobs plentiful , a balanced budget—that is true– but there in another part to the legacy– We are paying not only for the Bushes– but we go back to Reagan– memories are short– and get shorter when we are directly impacted by what is going on.
Clinton would not look nearly so good had he been followed by Gore rather than Bush.
I became disabled in Dec. and was one of the lucky ones who was granted disability. However,I supposedly make too much money for medicaid. I have to pay for the first $1,000 upfront first.I am disabled,unemployed and currently homeless at age 52.I can’t get food assistance because I make too much money. I can’t even pay rent with what they give me,muchless eat or see my doctor for my RX to keep me alive.Thankyou Gov. Rick Scott for the added nail to my coffin.
Welcome Tab. 🙂
I am sorry for your misfortune. Like you I am disabled. It took almost four years to win approval. SSDI qualifies me for Medicare. Things must be harder in FL.