Debbie Dingell: “today, we are debating the re- authorization of the welfare program. It is a repeat of the debate we had last Congress…”

“today, we are debating the re- authorization of the welfare program. It is a repeat of the debate we had last Congress, when Republican ideology prevented a common-sense reauthorization. I believe that we have a responsibility to help families transition into the workforce and provide essential support to make work play. The Cardin substitute will do that. Regrettably, the Republican bill will not. Two provisions within this re-authorization are in the jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce: transitional medical assistance (TMA) and abstinence-only education. The Republican versions are inadequate; the Cardin substitute fixes both. First, TMA is a program that provides health insurance coverage for families leaving welfare to go back to work. It is a program that makes good sense. Individuals moving off welfare often wind up in jobs that do not offer health insurance coverage or find that employer-sponsored coverage is too costly on the family's limited budget. TMA allows these families to keep their health insurance coverage in Medicaid so that getting a job doesn't mean losing health coverage. The Republican bill, however, only extends this program for one year; many of us prefer making this common-sense program permanent, as the Cardin substitute provides. In addition, the Republican bill does not include the simplifications that would help families get coverage and keep coverage.…”