FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (202) 225-1025
November 8, 1999
No. HR-12
Congresswoman Nancy L. Johnson (R-CT), Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a field hearing on welfare reform. The hearing will take place on Monday, November 15, 1999, in the Erie City Council Chambers, 626 State Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, beginning at 12:00 noon.
Oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. Witnesses will include the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare as well as local program administrators, scholars, and employers. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
BACKGROUND:
This hearing is a continuation of a series of field hearings across the country on welfare reform. The Subcommittee is expected to conduct additional hearings in other locations.
The Subcommittee's goal is to learn how welfare reform is being implemented in States and local communities across the nation. During this series of hearings, State and local witnesses are describing their programs and the impacts their programs are having on welfare caseloads, employment, the economic well being of families, and the local economy. This information will build a public record on differences and similarities in how welfare reform is being conducted and the effects it is having in selected States and counties around the nation.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Johnson stated: "The 1996 welfare reform law is one of the most important reforms of American social policy in recent decades. Our Subcommittee has been conducting hearings ever since the legislation was enacted to show the deep and continuing interest of Congress in how the legislation is being implemented, educating our Members on the effects the legislation is having, and building a strong public record on the legislation. Field hearings give the Subcommittee a chance to visit sites where the reforms are being implemented and to meet and hear from those who are actually doing the most important work in attacking welfare dependency."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The Subcommittee expects to learn details about the welfare reform programs being conducted in both the State of Pennsylvania and in Erie County. Witnesses are also expected to describe specific impacts of the Pennsylvania programs on families, welfare dependency, employment, and communities.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit six (6) single-spaced copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect 5.1 format, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Monday, November 29, 1999, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette WordPerfect 5.1 format, typed in single space and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers where the witness or the designated representative may be reached. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press, and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.
The
Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with
disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please
call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event
(four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to
special accommodation needs in general (including availability of
Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the
Committee as noted above.