In New York, the Affordable Care Act accounted for about $3.7 billion a year for increased Medicaid coverage. A repeal of the act could affect 2.7 million New York residents, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.– FLT article by Steve Buchiere
A report on Tom Reed’s proposals for welfare reform appeared in The Finger Lakes Times in an article by Steve Buchiere. As usual, Reed’s proposals are not so much reform as efforts to limit access, reduce benefits, and save money. The article mentions these proposals:
- Hands-Up Act
- Affordable Care Act
- Patient Freedom Act
Reed says the Hands-Up Act is designed to give states flexibility in administering programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He says the legislation is an effort to “make sure more money gets to those who need it and reduces government overhead.
Steve Buchiere writes:
Reed touched on progress of repealing the Affordable Care Act and what Republicans are doing to ensure a replacement is in place to ensure that everyone who wants healthcare coverage has access.
“Has access” is far different than universal coverage which is essential to affordable cost.
Steve Buchiere writes that Reed
…touched on possible support for the Patient Freedom Act, which would allow states to keep the components of the Affordable Care Act if they so choose — with federal support — or receive a similar amount of federal money for participants to use to purchase health insurance.
Everyone needs health care. I see no reason that benefits should vary from state to state or any reason to think that cash-starved states would be better able to administer health care programs than the Federal Government. I see proposals to turn the problem over to the states as a cop-out which has been tried without much success many times in the past.
© William Hungerford – January 26, 1017
https://reed.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reed-cares-poor
New NY 23rd 
I feel like if you have to title one of your press releases to declare that you care about the poor, you probably don’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I care” is one of Tom’s favorite phrases.
LikeLike
As Ronald Reagan said “The Best Social Program Is A Job”. This is true now more than ever.
I would like to see welfare reform get back to the policies that President Bill Clinton signed into law titled The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
Just imagine how much more people could contribute to the charities of their choice if NY State and teh federal government were not absconding so much of the taxpayers monies. This of the money that companies and corporations could reinvest to create more jobs if they tax rates were not so high.
Do you want to see a dramatic turn around of the economy in NY State. Eliminate state income, reduce property taxes by 50% and decrease federal income taxes by 50%
If you are interested in see a reality check please visit this site and review state budgets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_budgets
Regarding PRWORA from Wikipedia;
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) is a United States federal law considered to be a major welfare reform. The bill was a cornerstone of the Republican Contract with America and was authored by Rep. E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R-FL-22). President Bill Clinton signed PRWORA into law on August 22, 1996, fulfilling his 1992 campaign promise to “end welfare as we have come to know it”.
PRWORA instituted Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which became effective July 1, 1997. TANF replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program—which had been in effect since 1935—and supplanted the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training program (JOBS) of 1988. The law was heralded as a “reassertion of America’s work ethic” by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, largely in response to the bill’s workfare component. TANF was reauthorized in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
In July 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services released a memo notifying states that they are able to apply for a waiver for the work requirements of the TANF program, but only if states were also able to find credible ways to increase employment by 20%. The waiver would allow states to provide assistance without having to enforce the work component of the program, which currently states that 50 percent of a state’s TANF caseload must meet work requirements. The Obama administration stated that the change was made in order to allow more flexibility in how individual states operate their welfare programs. According to Peter Edelman, the director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality and Public Policy, the waivers would reduce restrictions that increase the difficulty for states in helping TANF applicants find jobs.
The change has been questioned by Republicans including Dave Camp, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Orrin Hatch, who requested further details from HHS over concerns that the memo would remove the main focus of PRWORA. Mitt Romney attacked the measure, saying that Obama was “gutting welfare reform”. However, PolitiFact stated that Romney’s claim was “not accurate” and “inflames old resentments”, giving it a “Pants on Fire” rating. CNN also reported that assertions that Obama was “taking the work requirement off the table” was false. In response to Republican criticism, Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services said that states, including some with Republican governors, had previously asked Congress to allow waivers.[16] (PRWORA) is a United States federal law considered to be a major welfare reform. The bill was a cornerstone of the Republican Contract with America and was authored by Rep. E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R-FL-22). President Bill Clinton signed PRWORA into law on August 22, 1996, fulfilling his 1992 campaign promise to “end welfare as we have come to know it”.
PRWORA instituted Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which became effective July 1, 1997. TANF replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program—which had been in effect since 1935—and supplanted the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training program (JOBS) of 1988. The law was heralded as a “reassertion of America’s work ethic” by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, largely in response to the bill’s workfare component. TANF was reauthorized in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
LikeLike
Tom Reed’s proposals assume that Americans don’t want to work. This is false–most people will work even at difficult, dirty, and dangerous jobs if they can. Work is fine, but we need to make sure jobs are available before insisting that people work. We need to make it possible for people, single mothers for example, to work. Also, we need to accommodate those who for whatever reason are unemployable.
LikeLike
I see that Rep. Reed proposed a similar bill last year, and, surprise-surprise it died in the committee process. According to Gov Track.com Reed has submitted 103 bills; only 4 survived the committee process and then passed in the House. That is less than 4% of his proposed bills. This bill will probably do the same—although Reed will bring this up at Town Hall and Round Table meetings.
LikeLike
Tom’s staff told at least one constituent that H.R.7 makes “no funding for abortion” permanent. No bill or law is permanent. H.R.7 has yet to pass the Senate. Even if it were to become law, laws can be found unconstitutional or repealed by Congress. No law is permanent. Even the Constitution can be amended.
LikeLike
The economy in upstate NY has very little to nothing to do with Congress Tom Reed. The dismal economy is the result of current & past leadership in the NY Governor’s office and teh state legislature.
NY State is at the bottom of the list for economic growth and at teh very top of the list for high taxes and oppressive regulations.
NY State government simply is too expensive and also spends entirely too much. If you want to turn around the upstate NY State economy eliminate income taxes, reduce property taxes by 50% and eliminate much of the bureaucracy involved with complying with regulations to speed up permitting process.
Please review this list of states and their annual budget costs. This will pretty much tell you what you need to know.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_budgets
LikeLike
A measurement of a Congressional member’s effectiveness should not be measured by how many Bills they propose, sponsor or cosponsor. Usually when Congress passes another Bill it creates more freedom robbing laws and costs the taxpayers more money. I want a Congressman who starts proposing to eliminate laws.
LikeLike
Yes, there are low tax States and high tax States. Generally life is much better in high tax States like Massachusetts for example. One low tax State is Mississippi where poverty is rampant.
LikeLike
“I certainly agree that “a Congressional member’s effectiveness should not be measured by how many bills they propose, sponsor or cosponsor.” As PYSTEW noted, Tom Reed frequently claims credit for bills introduced, most of which never emerge from committee.
LikeLike
Thank God and Heaven above that most Bills do not make it out of Committee ! I think Congress should be a position where no more than 4 months is spent in DC and their salary in cut by 74,000.00. Blame it on teh guy who invented air conditioning !
LikeLike
I would be willing to bet that there are more people living below the poverty line in NY State than in Mississippi. But what does this have to do with the fact that the NY State governor and the NY State legislature set the state spending and taxing?
LikeLike
NY 16%
MS 22%
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_poverty_rate
LikeLike
Thank you Mr. wungerford, you for taking the time to digg up the stats to prove my statement correct “there are more people living below the poverty line in NY State than in Mississippi”.
2,760,000 in NY State and 634,000 in Mississippi. A total of 2,126,000 more people in NY State than in Mississippi. 4th column over titled “People in poverty by household income.
LikeLike