D.C. City Council Rejects Cuts to Programs for Poor Families

We just received word from our colleagues at the National Women’s Law Center that the D.C. City Council has rejected a proposal to cut or eliminate poor families’ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for failure to meet work requirements. Plus, the final budget also restored part of the funding the Mayor proposed to cut from other programs for poor families.

This is a huge victory for the poor women and children of the District. Cutting these funds would have put thousands of families in our community deeper into poverty. The TANF program provides vital cash assistance and job readiness services.

Earlier this week, we asked you to make calls to your D.C. Councilmembers about this very issue. Thank you so much for taking action. Your calls made a difference!

Please spread this good news by passing this message along to other residents of the District of Columbia.

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President for Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center