Max Baucus: “I am glad to cosponsor this bill from my colleagues Senators Graham and Hutchison. It's an important matter for those of…”

“I am glad to cosponsor this bill from my colleagues Senators Graham and Hutchison. It's an important matter for those of us who represent less prosperous States. I have worked hard to promote economic development in Montana. It is crucial to providing a better future for the children of my great State. Until the economy improves in Montana, I will advocate for measures such as this one, which help alleviate the difficulties that stem from our circumstances. When we enacted welfare reform in 1996, a law I am glad to have supported, there was much discussion here about the appropriate way to allocate welfare funds among States. The old funding formula had produced wide disparities, especially between high per capita income States and low per capita income States. In the end it was resolved to provide additional funding in the form of 'TANF supplemental grants' to certain states which were poorer or had high growth rates or both. However, the funding was only provided through fiscal year 2001, while the rest of the welfare funds were provided through fiscal year 2002, as part of an effort to balance the budget. Well, the budget is in surplus now. And we need to continue the TANF supplemental grants for one more year, as this legislation would do, so that we can assess it as a part of the policy on overall welfare funding during next year's reauthorization of the 1996 welfare reform law.”