We need to urge Congress to extend the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) before it expires NEXT WEEK on Thursday, September 30!

 

Urge your senators to call Senate leaders to demonstrate their support for extending the ECF, which has subsidized an estimated 250,000 jobs across the country to date.

 

What You Can Do

1. Call your senators and ask to speak to the person who works on welfare issues.  Senators' phone numbers can be found by calling the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.
2. Ask the staff members to urge their boss to call Senate leaders to convey that extending ECF immediately is a priority for their constituents.
3. Report any responses you receive to Amanda Krusemark at akrusemark@naeh.org / 202-942-2856.

Background

The ECF was part of the Recovery Act passed in early 2009, and it is designed to help states deal with the increasing number of people on TANF due to the recession.  ECF dollars have helped states:

• provide cash assistance to low-income families;
• provide short-term rent assistance to families experiencing a housing crisis; and
• create 250,000 subsidized employment opportunities nationally, many of which will end on September 30 if Congress does not act to extend the funding.

Click here for a state-by-state breakdown of how the funds have been spent.

 

Recently, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) led a sign-on letter that garnered 30 of his colleagues' signatures and urged Senate leaders to act now to extend the ECF.  However, we need to do more to encourage the Senate to pass an extension of ECF before it expires in a few short days.