STATEMENT
BEFORE THE
SENATE L/HHS APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
TOMMY G. THOMPSON
SECRETARY
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
March 7, 2002
(RELEASE UPON DELIVERY)
Good Morning Chairman Harkin, Senator Specter and members
of the Committee. I am honored to appear before you today
to discuss the President�s FY 2003 budget for the Department
of Health and Human Services. I am confident that
a review of the full details of our budget will demonstrate
that we are proposing a balanced and responsible approach
to ensuring a safe and healthy America.
Before I discuss the FY 2003 budget, I would like to
thank the committee for its hard work and dedication to
the programs at HHS. Over the past year, I have come to
really appreciate your support and interest in the issues
and health needs of the American people. Like you, I believe
in the services HHS programs provide including our commitment
to the war against bioterrorism. I look forward to furthering
our relationship and building on the successes achieved
during the past year.
The budget I present to you today fulfills the promises
the President has made and proposes creative and innovative
solutions for meeting the challenges that now face our
nation. Since the September 11th attacks we
have dedicated much of our efforts to ensuring that the
nation is safe. HHS was one of the first agencies to respond
to the September 11th attacks on New York City, and began
deploying medical assistance and support within hours
of the attacks. Our swift response and the overwhelming
task of providing needed health related assistance made
us even more aware that there is always room for improvement.
The FY 2003 budget for the Department of Health and Human
Services builds on President Bush�s commitment to ensure
the health and safety of our nation.
The FY 2003 budget places increased emphasis on protecting
our nation�s citizens and ensuring safe, reliable health
care for all Americans. The HHS budget also promotes scientific
research, builds on our success in welfare reform, and
provides support for childhood development while delivering
a responsible approach for managing HHS resources. Our
budget plan confronts both the challenges of today and
tomorrow while protecting and supporting the well being
of all Americans.
Mr. Chairman, the total HHS request before this committee
for FY 2003 is $312.1 billion in outlays. The discretionary
component of the HHS budget totals $59.5 billion in budget
authority, which is an increase of $2.3 billion, or +4.1
percent over FY 2002. The mandatory component before this
committee totals $252.7 billion, which is an increase
of $19.4 billion or +8.3 percent. Let me now discuss some
of the highlights of the HHS budget and how we hope to
achieve our goals.
PROTECTING THE NATION AGAINST BIOTERRORISM
Mr. Chairman, as you know, the Department of Health and
Human Services is the lead federal agency in countering
bioterrorism. In cooperation with the States, we are responsible
for preparing for, and responding to, the medical and
public health needs of this nation. The FY 2003 budget
for HHS bioterrorism efforts is $4.3 billion, an increase
of $1.3 billion, or 45 percent, above FY 2002. The amount
before this committee totals $4.1 billion. This budget
supports a variety of activities to prevent, identify,
and respond to incidents of bioterrorism. These activities
are administered through the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP), the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These
efforts will be directed by the newly established Office
of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP).
On January 31, 2002, HHS announced plans for making $1.1
billion available to States. This funding is available
for hospital preparedness, laboratory capacity, epidemiology,
and emergency medical response. Approximately 20 percent
of this total either has already been provided
(or will be provided within the next few weeks) for immediate
expenditure to all eligible entities in
base awards that will be used to establish core programs
and address current needs for bioterrorism preparedness.
The remaining 80 percent will be made available for expenditure
once the Secretary has approved the States� work plans
for their awarded funds. States will submit plans which
will be reviewed by the HHS staff to ensure that
funding is used wisely for bioterrorism efforts.
In order to create a blanket of preparedness against
bioterrorism, the FY 2003 budget provides funding to State
and local organizations to improve laboratory capacity,
enhance epidemiological expertise in the identification
and control of diseases caused by bioterrorism, provide
for better electronic communication and distance learning,
and support a newly expanded focus on cooperative training
between public health agencies and local hospitals.
Funding for the Laboratory Response Network enhances
a system of over 80 public health labs specifically developed
for identifying pathogens that could be used for bioterrorism.
Funding will also support the Health Alert Network, CDC's
electronic communications system that will link local
public health departments in covering at least ninety
percent of our nations� population. Funding will be used
to support epidemiological response and outbreak control,
which includes funding for the training of public health
and hospital staff. This increased focus on local and
state preparedness serves to provide funding where it
best serves the interests of the nation.
An important part on the war against terrorism is the
need to develop vaccines and maintain a National Pharmaceutical
Stockpile. The National Pharmaceutical Stockpile is purchasing
enough antibiotics to be able to treat up to 20 million
individuals in a year for exposure to anthrax and other
agents by the end of 2002. The Department is purchasing
sufficient smallpox vaccines for all Americans. The FY
2003 budget proposes $650 million for the National Pharmaceutical
Stockpile and costs related to stockpiling of smallpox
vaccines, and next-generation anthrax vaccines currently
under development.
Another important aspect of preparedness is the response
capacity of our nation�s hospitals. Our FY 2003 budget
provides $518 million for hospital preparedness and infrastructure
to enhance biological and chemical preparedness plans
focused on hospitals. The FY 2003 budget will provide
funding to upgrade the capacity of hospitals, outpatient
facilities, emergency medical services systems and poison
control centers to care for victims of bioterrorism. In
addition, CDC will provide support for a series of exercises
to train public health and hospital workers to work together
to treat and control bioterrorist outbreaks.
The FY 2003 budget also includes $184 million to construct,
repair and secure facilities at the CDC. Priorities include
the construction of an infectious disease/bioterrorism
laboratory in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the completion
of a second infectious disease laboratory, an environmental
laboratory, and a communication and training facility
in Atlanta. This funding will enable the CDC to handle
the most highly infectious and lethal pathogens, including
potential agents of bioterrorism. Within the funds requested,
$12 million will be used to equip the Environmental Toxicology
Lab, which provides core lab space for testing environmental
samples for chemical terrorism. Funding will also be allocated
to the ongoing maintenance of existing laboratories and
support structures.
The FY 2003 budget also includes $60 million for the
development of new Educational Incentives for Curriculum
Development and Training Program. The goals of this program
will be the development of a health care workforce capable
of recognizing indications of a bioterrorist event in
their patients, that possesses the knowledge and skills
to best treat their patients, and that has the competencies
to rapidly and effectively inform the public health system
of such an event at the community, State and national
level.
INVESTING IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Advances in scientific knowledge have provided the foundation
for improvements in public health and have led to enhanced
health and quality of life for all Americans. Much of
this can be attributed to the groundbreaking work carried
on by, and funded by, the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). Our FY 2003 budget enhances support for a wide
array of scientific research, while emphasizing and supporting
research needed for the war against bioterrorism.
NIH is the largest and most distinguished biomedical
research organization in the world. The research that
is conducted and supported by the NIH offers the promise
of breakthroughs in preventing and treating a number of
diseases and contributes to fighting the war against bioterrorism.
The FY 2003 budget includes the final installment of $3.9
billion needed to achieve the doubling of the NIH budget.
The budget includes $1.75 billion for bioterrorism research,
including genomic sequencing of dangerous pathogens, development
of zebra chip technology, development and procurement
of an improved anthrax vaccine, and laboratory and research
facilities construction and upgrades related to bioterrorism.
With the commitment to bioterrorism research comes our
expectation of substantial positive spin-offs for other
diseases. Advancing knowledge in the arena of diagnostics,
therapeutics and vaccines in general should have enormous
impact on the ability to diagnose, treat, and prevent
major killers-diseases such as malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS,
West Nile fever, and influenza.
The FY 2003 budget also provides $5.5 billion for research
on cancer throughout all of NIH. Currently, one of every
two men and one of every three women in the United States
will develop some type of cancer over the course of their
lives. New research indicates that cancer is actually
more than 200 diseases, all of which require different
treatment protocols. Promising cancer research is leading
to major breakthroughs in treating and curing various
forms of cancer. Our budget continues to expand support
for these research endeavors. The FY 2003 budget also
includes a total of $2.8 billion for HIV/AIDS-related
research. NIH continues to focus on prevention research,
therapeutic research to treat those already infected,
international research, and research targeting the disproportionate
impact of AIDS on minority populations in the United States.
SUPPORTING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
The FY 2003 budget includes $25 million
for a Healthy Communities Innovation Initiative
- a new interdisciplinary services effort that will concentrate
Department-wide expertise on the prevention of diabetes
and asthma, as well as obesity. Of this amount, $20 million
is available in HRSA. The purpose of the initiative is
to reduce the incidence of these diseases and improve
services in 5 communities through a tightly coordinated
public/private partnership between medical, social, educational,
business, civic and religious organizations. These chronic
diseases were chosen because of their rapidly increasing
prevalence within the United States. In addition there
is $5 million in CDC for a national media campaign to
promote physical fitness activities, with an emphasis
on families and communities.
More than 16 million Americans currently suffer from
a preventable form of diabetes. Type II diabetes is increasingly
prevalent in our children due to the lack of activity.
In a recent study conducted by NIH, participants that
were randomly assigned to intensive lifestyle intervention
experienced a reduced risk of getting Type II diabetes
by 58 percent. HHS plans to reach out to women and minorities
to help make this initiative a success.
INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
Of all the issues confronting this Department, none
has a more direct effect on the well-being of our citizens
than the quality and accessibility of health care. Our
budget proposes to improve the health of the American
people by taking important steps to increase and expand
the number of Community Health Centers, strengthen Medicaid,
and ensure patient safety.
Community Health Centers provide family oriented preventive
and primary health care to over 11 million patients through
a network of over 3,400 health sites. The FY 2003 budget
will increase and expand the number of health center sites
by 170, the second year of the President�s initiative
is to increase and expand sites by 1,200 and serve an
additional 6.1 million patients by 2006. We propose to
increase funding for these Community Health Centers by
$114 million in FY 2003. Our long-term goal is to increase
the number of people who receive high quality primary
healthcare regardless of their ability to pay. With these
new health centers we hope to achieve this goal.
In addition to expanding Community Health Centers, we
are seeking to expand the National Health Service Corps
by $44 million. Currently, more than 2,300 health care
professionals are providing service to health center patients
and others in under served communities.
The Medicaid program and the State Children�s Health
Insurance Program (SCHIP) provide health care benefits
to low-income Americans, primarily children, pregnant
women, the elderly, and those with disabilities. The FY
2003 budget we propose strengthens the Medicaid and SCHIP
programs by implementing essential reforms in the way
we pay for prescription drugs and by extending expiring
SCHIP funds.
We propose to work with stakeholders to develop legislative
proposals that build on the Health Insurance Flexibility
and Accountability (HIFA) demonstration in order to give
states the flexibility they need to design innovative
ways of increasing access to health insurance coverage
for the uninsured. The Administration's plan would allow
at State option those who receive the President's health
care tax credit to increase their purchasing power by
purchasing insurance from plans that already participate
in their State's Medicaid, Children�s Health Insurance,
or State employees' programs. This could help keep costs
down and provide a more comprehensive benefit than plans
in the individual market.
We also need to make an effort to narrow the drug treatment
gap. As reflected in the National Drug Control Strategy,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
estimates that 4.7 million people
are in need of drug abuse treatment services.
However, fewer than half of those who need treatment actually
receive services, leaving a treatment gap of 3.9 million
individuals. Our budget supports the President's Drug
Treatment initiative, and to narrow the treatment gap.
We propose to increase funding for the initiative by $127
million. These additional funds will allow States and
local communities to provide treatment services to approximately
546,000 individuals, an increase of 52,000 over FY 2002.
BUILDING UPON THE SUCCESSES OF WELFARE REFORM
President Bush has said that American families are the
bedrock of American society and the primary source of
strength and health for both individuals and communities.
Our budget includes a number of new initiatives that support
this principle by targeting resources to strengthen our
nation's families. We look forward to working with Congress
in considering the next phase of welfare reform and other
elements of the President's proposals to help America's
low-income families succeed.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
As a former governor, I can tell you that the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program - or TANF - has
been a truly remarkable example of a successful Federal-State
partnership. States were given tremendous flexibility
to reform their welfare programs and as a result, millions
of families have been able to end their dependency on
welfare and achieve self-sufficiency.
In New York City, where we are understandably most concerned
about job opportunities, the City has achieved more than
53,000 job placements for welfare recipients from September
through December 2001. While the number of TANF recipients
increased briefly directly because of the tragedy on September
11, by December there were about 15,000 fewer TANF recipients
on the rolls than there were in August. Indeed, in December
the City had its lowest number of persons on welfare since
1965.
Our reauthorization proposal embraces the needs of families
by maintaining the program's overall funding and basic
structure, while focusing increased efforts on building
stronger families through work and job advancement and
adding child well-being as an overarching purpose of TANF.
Our budget proposes $16.5 billion each year for block
grants to States and Tribes; $319 million a year to restore
supplemental grants; $2 billion over five years for a
more accessible Contingency Fund; a $100 million a year
initiative for research, demonstration and technical assistance
primarily to promote family formation and healthy marriage
activities; and $100 million redirected from High Performance
Bonus funds to create a competitive matching grant program
to develop innovative approaches to promoting healthy
marriages and reducing out-of-wedlock births. In addition,
our proposal will call for modification of the bonus for
high performance to reward significant achievement in
promoting employment of program participants.
Other Programs Supporting TANF Goals
The President�s Budget also includes funding for several
other programs at the State and community level that work
to support the goals of TANF. The Social Services Block
Grant (SSBG) provides a flexible source of funding for
States to help families achieve or maintain self-sufficiency
and provide an array of social services to vulnerable
families. The President�s Budget request for SSBG is $1.7
billion.
The President's Budget extends the Transitional Medical
Assistance (TMA) program which provides valuable health
protection for former welfare recipients after they enter
the workforce. This important program allows families
to remain eligible for Medicaid for up to 12 months after
they are no longer eligible for welfare because of earnings
from their new job. TMA is an important stepping stone
in helping workers and their families successfully transfer
from welfare to work without fear of losing vital health
coverage.
Child Care
Child Care has played an important role in the success
of welfare reform by providing parents the support they
need to work. The President's Budget recognizes this critical
link and maintains a high level of commitment to childcare.
Continuing the substantial increase in funding that Congress
has provided over the last several years, the President's
Budget includes a total of $4.8 billion in childcare funding
in conjunction with our request to reauthorize the mandatory
and discretionary funding provided under the Child Care
and Development Block Grant and the Child Care Entitlement.
States will also continue to have significant flexibility
under the TANF program and under the Social Services Block
Grant program to address the needs of their low-income
working families. These additional funding opportunities
have substantially increased the amount of resources dedicated
to child care needs. For example, in FY 2000 States transferred
$2.3 billion in TANF funds to the Child Care and Development
Block Grant.
Child Support Enforcement
The Child Support Enforcement program offers another
vital connection to families� ability to achieve self-sufficiency
and financial stability. The President's Budget proposes
to increase child support collections and direct more
of the support collected to families transitioning from
welfare. Under our proposal, the Federal government would
share in the cost of optional expanded State efforts to
pass through child support collections to families receiving
TANF. States could also opt to direct all child support
to families who formerly received TANF.
Overall collections would be increased by expanding our
successful program for denying passports to parents owing
$2,500 in past-due support, requiring States to update
support awards in TANF cases every three years, and authorizing
States to offset certain Social Security Administration
payments when they determine such action would be appropriate
to collect unpaid support. Our child support legislative
package would also impose a minimal annual processing
fee in any case where the State has been successful in
collecting support on behalf of a family that has never
received assistance.
Strengthening Families
The FY 2003 budget contains funds for four competitive
grant programs, targeted at community and faith based
organizations, to assist in delivering innovative services,
to strengthen families and help change lives. The Compassion
Capital Fund, at $100 million, will expand the capacity
of groups and organizations willing to step up and help
provide these critical social services.
Over 25 million children live in homes without fathers.
To assist non-custodial fathers to become more involved
in the lives of these children, the budget provides $20
million in competitive grants to faith-and community-based
organizations to encourage and help fathers to support
their families and avoid welfare, improve fathers� ability
to manage family business affairs, and encourage and support
healthy marriages.
The budget also provides $25 million for the mentoring
children of prisoners initiative first proposed last year.
This funding will enable public and private entities to
establish or expand programs providing mentoring for children
of incarcerated parents.
Finally, young pregnant mothers and their children will
be provided safe environments through the $10 million
included for Maternity Group Homes. Approximately 80 grantees
will provide a range of services such as childcare, education,
job training, counseling and advices on parenting and
life skills.
Promoting Safe and Stable Families
The President�s Budget would increase the funding level
for this program to $505 million, fully supporting the
increased authorization included in the new law. These
funds will be used to help promote and support adoption
so that children can become part of a safe and stable
family, as well as for increased preventive efforts to
help families in crisis.
This landmark legislation also authorized a new program
to provide vouchers to youth who are aging out of foster
care so that they can obtain the education and training
they need to lead productive lives. The President's Budget
includes $60 million for these vouchers, bringing the
total request for the Foster Care Independence Program
to $200 million.
Child Welfare/Foster Care/Adoption
Our budget framework includes resources for a number
of additional programs targeted to protecting our most
vulnerable and at-risk children. Foster Care, Adoption
Assistance, Adoption Incentives and Child Welfare Services
enhance the capacity of families to raise children in
a nurturing, safe environment. The President�s Budget
provides resources to help States provide safe and appropriate
care for children who need placement outside their homes,
and to provide funds to States to assist in providing
financial and medical assistance for adopted children
with special needs who cannot be reunited with their families,
and to reward States for increasing their number of adoptions.
The budget also supports Child Welfare Services programs
with the goal of keeping families together when possible
and in the best interest of the child.
The budget provides $4.9 billion for Foster Care, $1.6
billion for Adoption Assistance, and $43 million in Adoption
Incentive funds. The President�s Budget seeks almost $300
million in funding for child welfare services and training.
Together, these funds will support improvement in the
healthy development, safety, and well being of the children
and youth in our nation.
Head Start
Our budget continues to provide support for Head Start
and supports early childhood education and school readiness.
The President's Budget request includes $6.7 billion for
Head Start, an increase of $130 million over FY 2002.
In FY 2003, almost 915,000 children will receive Head
Start services including 62,000 children in Early Head
Start. The funding increase will maintain current enrollment
levels, strengthen training and technical assistance,
and support competitive salaries for Head Start teachers.
In FY 2003, the Department will continue to focus on
early literacy through investments in teacher quality
and credentialing and, specialized efforts such as Head
Start Centers of Excellence on Literacy and the Head Start
Family Literacy Project. In 2003, Head Start will meet
its statutory goal, assuring that 50 percent of all Head
Start educators have a college degree.
STRENGTHENING MEDICARE
The FY 2003 President�s Budget dedicates $190 billion
over ten years for immediate targeted improvements and
comprehensive Medicare modernization, including a subsidized
prescription drug benefit, better insurance protection,
and better private options for all beneficiaries. Let
me assure you, the President remains committed to the
framework he introduced last summer, and to bringing the
Medicare program up to date by providing prescription
drug coverage and other improvements. We cannot wait:
it is time to act. Recognizing that there is no time to
waste, the President's Budget also includes a series of
targeted immediate improvements to Medicare.
- HHS has just released a revised and improved version
of the proposed drug card program, which will give beneficiaries
immediate savings on the cost of their medicines and
access to other valuable pharmacy services. The President
is absolutely committed to providing immediate assistance
to seniors who currently have to pay full price for
prescription drugs, and this initiative will lay the
groundwork for a comprehensive Medicare drug benefit.
- Recently, I announced a model drug waiver program-Pharmacy
Plus-to allow States to reduce drug expenditures and
expand drug only coverage to seniors and certain individuals
with disabilities with family incomes up to 200 percent
of the federal poverty level. This program is being
done administratively. The recently approved Illinois
initiative illustrates how states can expand coverage
to Medicare beneficiaries in partnership with the federal
government. The Illinois program will give an estimated
368,000 low-income seniors drug coverage.
- This budget proposes additional federal assistance
for comprehensive drug coverage to low-income Medicare
beneficiaries up to 150% of poverty - about $17,000
for a family of two. This policy would eventually expand
drug coverage for up to 3 million beneficiaries who
currently do not have prescription drug assistance,
and it will be integrated with the Medicare drug benefit
that is offered to all seniors once that benefit is
in place. This policy also helps to establish the framework
necessary for a Medicare prescription drug benefit and
is essentially a provision that is in all of the major
drug benefit proposals to be debated before Congress.
- The President�s budget also includes an increase in
funding to stabilize and increase choice in Medicare+Choice
program by aligning payment rates more closely with
overall Medicare spending and paying incentives for
new types of plans to participate. Over 500,000 seniors
lost coverage last year because Medicare+Choice plans
left the program. Today close to 5 million seniors choose
to receive quality health care through the Medicare+Choice
program. Because it provides access to drug coverage
and other innovative benefits,
it is an option many seniors like, and an option
we must preserve. The President�s budget also proposes
the addition of two new Medigap plans to the existing
10 plans. These new plans will include prescription
drug assistance and protect seniors from high out-of-pocket
costs
Some of these initiatives give immediate and tangible
help to seniors. But, let me make clear: these are not
substitutes for comprehensive modernization and availability
of a drug benefit option to all seniors in Medicare. They
are immediate steps we want to take to improve the program
in conjunction with comprehensive reform, so that beneficiaries
will not have to wait to begin to see benefit improvements.
I want to pledge today to work with each and every member
of this Committee to fulfill our promise of health care
security for America's seniors- now and in the future.
IMPROVING MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF HHS PROGRAMS
I am committed to being proactive in preparing the nation
for potential threats of bioterrorism and supporting research
that will enable Americans to live healthier and safer
lives. And, I am excited about beginning the next phase
of Welfare reform and strengthening our Medicare and Medicaid
programs. Ensuring that HHS resources are managed properly
and effectively is also a challenge I take very seriously.
For any organization to succeed, it must never stop asking
how it can do things better, and I am committed to supporting
the President�s vision for a government that is citizen-centered,
results oriented, and actively promotes innovation through
competition. HHS is committed to improving management
within the Department and has established its own vision
of a unified HHS -- One Department free of unnecessary
layers, collectively strong to serve the American people.
The FY 2003 budget supports the President's Management
Agenda.
The Department will improve program performance and service
delivery to our citizens by more strategically managing
its human capital and ensuring that resources are directed
to national priorities. HHS will reduce duplication of
effort by consolidating administrative management functions
and eliminating management layers to speed decision-making.
The Department plans to reduce the number of personnel
offices from 40 to 4 and consolidate construction funding,
leasing, and other facilities management activities. These
management efficiencies will result in an estimated savings
of 700 full time equivalent positions, allowing the Department
to redeploy staff and other resources to advance primary
missions.
HHS continues working to improve budget and performance
integration in support of the Government-wide effort.
Although we work in a challenging environment where health
outcomes may not be apparent for several years, and the
Federal dollar may be just one input to complex programs,
HHS is committed to demonstrating to citizens the value
they receive for the tax dollars they pay.
By expanding our information technology and by establishing
a single corporate Information Technology Enterprise system,
HHS can build a strong foundation to re-engineer the way
we do business and can provide better government services
at reduced costs. By consolidating and modernizing existing
financial management systems our Unified Financial Management
System (UFMS) will provide a consistent, standardized
system for departmental accounting and financial management.
This "One Department" approach to financial management
and information technology emphasizes the use of resources
on an enterprise basis with a common infrastructure, thereby
reducing errors and enhancing accountability. The use
of cost accounting will aid in the evaluation of HHS program
effectiveness, and the impacts of funding level changes
on our programs.
HHS is also committed to providing the highest possible
standard of services and will use competitive sourcing
as a management tool to study the efficiency and performance
of our programs, while minimizing costs overall. The program
will be linked to performance reviews to identify those
programs and program components where outsourcing can
have the greatest impact. Further, the incorporation of
performance-based contracting will improve efficiency
and performance at a savings to the taxpayer.
GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT
HHS is committed to continual improvement in the performance
and management of its programs and the Administration's
efforts to provide results-oriented, citizen-centered
government. The budget request for FY 2003 is accompanied
by annual performance plans and reports required by the
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The performance
measures cover the wide range of program activities essential
to carrying out the HHS mission. Some notable FY 2001
achievements include:
- Moving Families Toward Self-sufficiency: ACF reported
that 42.9 percent of adult recipients of TANF were
employed by FY 1999. This is a primary indicator of
success in moving families toward self-sufficiency.
It improves on the FY 1998 baseline of 38.7 percent
and exceeds the target of 42 percent.
- Families Benefiting from Child Support Enforcement:
The Child Support Enforcement program broke new records
nationwide in FY 2001 by collecting $18.9 billion,
one billion over FY 2000 levels. In one such initiative
in FY 2000, the government collected a record $1.4
billion in overdue child support from Federal income
tax refunds, and more than 1.42 million families benefited
from these collections.
These are just a few of the dozens of impressive success
stories found in the 13 performance plans and reports.
Performance measurement has been, and will continue to
be, an important part of our effort to improve the management
and performance of our programs.
WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE A SAFE AND HEALTHY AMERICA
Mr. Chairman, the budget I bring before you today contains
many different elements of a single proposal; what binds
these fundamental elements together is the desire to improve
the lives of the American people. All of our proposals,
from building upon the successes of welfare reform, to
protecting the nation against bioterrorism; from increasing
access to healthcare, to strengthening Medicare, are put
forward with the simple goal of ensuring a safe and healthy
America. I know this is a goal we all share, and with
your support, we are committed to achieving it.
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