FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, CONTACT: (202) 225-1025
January 5, 2000
No. HR-13
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, January 24, 2000, in the hearing room of the Port Center, 2051 Martin Luther King Boulevard, Riviera Beach, Florida, beginning at 12:45 p.m.
In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. Witnesses will include State and local officials, private contractors participating in the county welfare reform program, churches participating in welfare reform, and a participant in the program. 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 the 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.
"Thanks to welfare reform, welfare rolls are down by more than 50 percent and more former welfare recipients are working and gaining independence. This is a great start. To build on this success, Congress is watching the progress of welfare reform very carefully -- both in Washington and around the country -- to ensure that our new approach is helping families improve their lives," said Chairman Johnson in announcing the hearing.
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The Subcommittee expects to learn details about the welfare reform programs being conducted in both the State of Florida and in Palm Beach County. Witnesses are expected to describe specific impacts on families, welfare dependency, employment, the welfare caseload, 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, February 7, 2000, 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. If those filing written statements, other than invited witnesses, wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 150 additional copies (2-sided) for this purpose to the district office of Representative Mark Foley, 4440 PGA Boulevard, Suite 406, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410, by close of business on Wednesday, January 19, 2000.
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.