October 7, 2002

Richmond (CA) Mayor Irma Anderson, Brockton (MA) Mayor John Yuntis Jr., Long Beach Mayor Beverly O-Neill, and Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum carried the message to Congressman Wally Herger (CA) to support funding for working families and homeland security. Congressman Herger is Subcommittee Chairman on the House Ways and Means Committee. Mayor Anderson, Chair of the Standing Committee for Children, Health and Human Services and Mayor Yuntis, Chair of the Workforce Development Committee, share jurisdiction over welfare and family policy development within the Conference.

Mayor Anderson urged Congressman Herger and the House of Representatives reconsider its funding levels for child care and that the final bill allow education and training to be counted as work activities. The House passed its TANF reauthorization bill (HR 4737) in May and now awaits the Senate to act on the bill. In July, the Senate Finance Committee passed its version of HR 4737 with significantly different funding levels for child care. It also maintained the 30-hour work week requirement.

"The funding levels in the House bill are just not sufficient to meet the needs of working families especially if a compromise involves an increase in the required work week," stated Mayor Anderson during the meeting. Marlowe Foster, corporate affairs manager, Lowe's Companies, joined the mayors to push for better child care funding and more skills and education training for individuals moving into the work environment. Mr. Foster stated that Lowe's, a Conference Business Council member, is committed to continuing to employee individuals leaving welfare and will help them towards their goal of self'sufficiency but he stressed that skill training is very needed in these difficult times.

Congressman Herger advised the mayors that they are waiting for the Senate to move its bill to the floor for debate but that a compromise bill could include an increase in child care funding if a deal could be worked out on the work participation hours.