{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140301065229/http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=706", "North Carolina Congressmen Push McCrory to Explain Why NC Is Only State to Stop TANF", "2013-10-15", "2013", "2013-10", "Democrat", "House", "NC", "G. Butterfield", "B001251", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 In an open letter sent to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory today, North Carolina Representatives David Price (D-NC), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Melvin Watt (D-NC) pushed the Governor and his administration to explain why North Carolina is the only state in the country to discontinue the operation of its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Last week, the McCrory Administration abruptly reversed its decision to suspend the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program.\n\t\n\t\tThe text of the letter is below.\n\t\n\t\t\u00a0\n\t\n\t\tOctober 15, 2013\n\t\n\t\tThe Honorable Pat McCrory\n\t\tGovernor\n\t\tOffice of the Governor\n\t\t20301 Mail Service Center\n\t\tRaleigh, NC 27699-0301\n\t\n\t\tDear Governor McCrory:\n\t\n\t\tIt has come to our attention that North Carolina is the lone anomaly in deciding to discontinue the operation of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.\n\t\n\t\tWhile other states are maintaining their TANF programs, North Carolina has ceased processing new applications. It is the only state in the country to do so.\n\t\n\t\tThe Administration for Children and Families has committed itself to working with every state to ensure that essential TANF benefits remain available and that all expenditures are reimbursed when the federal government reopens. This guarantee of reimbursement, which is apparently good enough for 49 other states, would enable the state to meet its responsibility to administer the program.\n\t\n\t\tLast week your state DHHS announced it would re-open the Women, Infants and Children supplemental nutrition program. North Carolina was, again, the only state in the country to discontinue WIC benefits even though federal contingency funds were available. We are concerned that the decision to suspend the TANF program may reflect a disturbing trend, and urge you again to reverse course.\n\t\n\t\tAs we work to resolve the political impasse in Congress and reopen the federal government, we urge your administration to undertake all possible measures to ensure that the most vulnerable families in our state get the services they need.\n\t\n\t\tSincerely,\n\t\n\t\tDAVID PRICE\n\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\n\t\tG. K. BUTTERFIELD\n\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\n\t\tMELVIN L. WATT\n\t\tMember of Congress\n\t\n\t\t\u00a0\n\t\n\t\t# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140301065229/http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=706"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4929897151887417, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}