Legislation sponsored in Congress on May 1 by both U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) would reauthorize, modernize, and reform Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a federally funded, state-run program designed to help families with children experiencing low-income achieve economic security and stability.
“It is time for Congress to modernize the TANF program to protect against fraud and ensure that the program is assisting our most vulnerable individuals and families,” Rep. LaHood said. “It is clear that the lack of guardrails makes the system ripe for abuse.”
The Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act of 2025, H.R. 3156/S. 1567, comprises seven member bills focused on reforming and modernizing TANF.
If enacted, the measure would reform the TANF program to ensure families utilizing the system receive the assistance, training, and services needed to connect them with jobs and succeed in the workforce, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“Nobody wants to depend on the government’s help, and this bill is a crucial step in modernizing the TANF program to ensure that we’re helping families escape the cycle of poverty and equipping them for self-sufficiency,” said Sen. Daines. “By promoting work ethic and responsibility, we can cut straight to the root causes of economic disadvantage and child poverty, and our families will be far better off.”
The JOBS for Success Act is supported by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, the National Taxpayer Union, Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for Prosperity, the Club for Growth, and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.