TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act of 2005

TANF EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - September 08, 2005)

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Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, this is a much needed piece of legislation; so let us pass this bill and then move on to the more pressing question of how to craft a long-term solution as part of a full recovery plan for all those affected in the gulf States. We need to do more to try to provide flexibility to the States so they can use these funds quickly, but at the same time we have to make sure that we are not hampering these States from doing what they believe is best for all of the victims that have suffered as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

I hope that we are able to work in a bipartisan fashion to move forward legislation which will address the needs of people who are unemployed today, they were unemployed before the hurricane, and now will suffer even more difficult times trying to find work, along with those who have now been displaced as a result of the hurricane.

I hope that we will deal with the fact that there are many legal immigrants in this country on their way to becoming citizens who, under the current law, would be constrained from being able to be assisted by these TANF dollars unless we provide the States with flexibility to do so.

Everyone is a victim regardless of their color, regardless of where they came from. If they were there, they are a victim. And I hope that this Congress can move quickly not just to do what is needed now but into the future.

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