WIPA and PABSS Extension Act of 2010

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6200) to amend part A of title XI of the Social Security Act to provide for a 1-year extension of the authorizations for the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program and the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security program.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

This bill is an extension of two very important provisions of the Ticket to Work Act of 1999 which basically helps disabled Americans return to work when, and if, they can. This has been a bipartisan team effort I was pleased to work on with Mr. Johnson some time ago. The bill has no direct spending and complies with pay-as-you-go rules.

I am pleased to support this important extension of two programs from the bipartisan Ticket to Work Act of 1999, which was introduced by my colleagues Earl Pomeroy, Jim McDermott, and Sam Johnson.

This has been a bipartisan, collaborative effort to ensure that two important programs that help disabled Americans return to work continue for another year, and I thank my colleagues for their good work on this issue.

The Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program (WIPA) provides $23 million for community-based organizations to provide personalized assistance to help Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) recipients understand Social Security's complex work incentive policies and the effect that working will have on their benefits. In 2009, WIPA assisted over 37,000 SSI and DI beneficiaries who wanted to return to work.

The Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) program provides $7 million in grants to designated Protection and Advocacy Systems to provide legal advocacy services that beneficiaries need to secure, maintain, or regain employment. In 2009, PABSS served nearly 9,000 beneficiaries.

If Congress does not extend these programs by the end of October, the Social Security Administration has told us there may be a lapse in service to beneficiaries, so it's important that we act now.

The bill also includes two commonsense, good-government changes to increase accountability and make the WIPA program more efficient.

First, we add a requirement that all WIPA grantees report data to the Social Security Administration about the beneficiaries they serve and the kinds of help they provided, the same requirement that current PABSS grantees have.

Good data is critical to our efforts to make sure that taxpayer funds to WIPAs are well-spent.

It also helps us learn more about what kind of help disabled beneficiaries may need if they are able to return to work, which will allow us to make other improvements in future legislation.

Second, this legislation would allow all WIPA grantees to carry over 10 percent of their funding into the next year, a change originally proposed by the Obama Administration. This change will allow for better and more consistent budgeting instead of encouraging end-of-year spending.

By extending WIPA and PABSS for a year, we reaffirm our commitment to these important work support programs, while also acknowledging the need to consider policy and funding changes in the near future.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan, commonsense legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of the passage of this legislation, and I think the Supplemental Security Income and Social Security disability benefit programs provide an essential income safety net for people with disabilities.

Yet these programs face a real fiscal challenge. Waste, fraud and abuse continues to threaten public confidence. Most importantly the disability program will not be able to pay full benefits beginning just eight years from now in 2018.

Those who depend on these critical benefits are counting on us to act. They want answers and we must turn to these issues without delay.

With respect to the legislation we are considering today, just over 10 years ago Congress passed The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act to help those with disabilities get back to work.

The two grant programs we would reauthorize today were created as part of that landmark legislation.

One of the grant programs, The Work Incentives Planning Assistance Program funds community-based organizations to assist those receiving benefits to find work as well as understand Social Security's complex rules and the effect of working on their benefits, their health care and on other public benefits they may receive.

Today there are a total of 103 community-based cooperative agreements in all 50 States. Last year these programs served over 37,000 people.

One example is The Work Incentive Planning Assistance Program of Easter Seals North Texas which serves 19 counties in the north Texas area, including my district. Thanks to their hard work, so far this year over 20 percent of their caseload has jobs.

The other grant program, The Protection and Advocacy Program for Beneficiaries of Social Security Program funds 57 grant programs covering all 50 States. These programs served almost 9,000 people last year, helping those working or trying to work by assisting in the resolution of potential disputes, including those with their employer.

The authorized funding level included in the bill for these two programs is $30 million. This funding level has remained constant since these programs were created.

While I support a one-year extension of these two important programs, I am disappointed that our Subcommittee has not continued the work it began in May of last year when we learned that Social Security's Ticket to Work Program wasn't working as we would like.

Despite some signs of improvement since new rules were issued, now more than ever, we need to look at how every taxpayer dollar is spent. No matter how well intended these programs are, at the end of the day taxpayers deserve to know if they are getting their money's worth. Programs that don't work must be changed or must end.

I urge all my colleagues to vote yes.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6200, received from the House and at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements related to the bill be printed at this point in the Record, with no intervening action or debate.