House Ways and Means hearing spotlights widespread TANF non‑assistance spending and Mississippi abuse

The House Ways and Means Committee convened a hearing focused on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), with lawmakers and witnesses urging stronger federal guardrails after examples of misspent funds in multiple states — most prominently a Mississippi case that prosecutors say involved tens of millions of dollars.

Committee chairman Smith opened the hearing saying the panel has been “laser focused on helping Americans in need” and that Congress must “restore integrity and accountability to TANF.” The chairman and many members framed the central problem as the program’s non‑assistance portion — the set of state‑run uses for block grant dollars that, witnesses testified, now makes up roughly three‑quarters of TANF spending.

Why it matters: TANF’s non‑assistance spending is large and loosely governed, witnesses and members said. Sam Adolfsson, policy director at the Foundation for Government Accountability and a former state TANF official, told the committee that the program has “drifted from the core mission of getting people back to work” and urged steps such as measuring improper payments, reserving funds for households below an income threshold, and requiring more frequent audits.

“The program has drifted from the core mission,” Adolfsson said. He noted that only a small share of non‑assistance dollars have gone to work, training and education — citing an 8.1% figure for 2022 — and that states sit on large unspent reserves.

Witnesses detailed misuse and state…