FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, CONTACT: (202) 225-1025
February 7, 2000
No. HR-14
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, February 14, 2000, at the Living Classrooms Foundation, 802 South Caroline Street, Baltimore, Maryland, beginning at 11:00 a.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 public and elected officials, program operators, advocates, and researchers. 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 on welfare reform being conducted by the Subcommittee. Previous field hearings have been conducted in Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
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.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Johnson stated: "Thanks to welfare reform, welfare rolls are down by more than 50 percent, employment of mothers who used to be on welfare is up, poverty is down, 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."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The Subcommittee expects to learn details about the welfare reform programs being conducted both in Baltimore and the State of Maryland. Witnesses are expected to describe specific impacts on families, welfare dependency, employment, the welfare caseload, and communities. The hearing will also feature testimony on the role of churches in Maryland's welfare reform program.
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 or MS Word format, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Monday, February 28, 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 50 additional copies (2-sided) for this purpose to the Living Classrooms Foundation, 802 South Caroline Street, Baltimore, Maryland, by close of business on Thursday, February 10, 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 or MS Word 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.