To empower more Americans to lift themselves out of poverty, we need to measure the effectiveness of our welfare programs and focus resources on those producing real results.  Right now, I am pleased to be working on renewing an evidence-based program with a proven track record of improving outcomes for families in Nebraska and across the country.
The reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV) is one of my priorities as chairman of the Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee.  Proposed by President George W. Bush, this program was fully authorized by Congress in Fiscal Year 2010.
The program helps support state and local efforts to provide voluntary, evidence-based, outcome-focused home visiting services to parents and children living in communities which put them at risk of poor social and health outcomes.  Objectives include increasing economic self-sufficiency of families, improving prenatal health and birth outcomes, promoting school readiness of young children, and preventing child abuse
and neglect.
MIECHV is one of the only government programs in which funding is contingent on proven evidence of effectiveness.  This is a model we need to replicate across the federal government to ensure taxpayer dollars are focused on programs producing real results for those who need it most.  The current lack of accountability in many other government programs is a disservice to both taxpayers and those we are seeking to help.

The evidence-based nature of MIECHV has motivated our Committee to renew it at level funding, meaning we are maintaining the same level of funding rather than increasing spending.  The reauthorization bill is also fully paid for – to do otherwise with our national debt now exceeding $20 trillion would be entirely irresponsible.
The costs of reauthorizing MIECHV are offset by the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act, also passed by the Committee, which prohibits individuals with outstanding arrest warrants for a felony or parole violation from receiving monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.  Fugitives evading prosecution should not continue to receive monthly payments from the federal government, and this legislation puts a stop to this abuse of
taxpayer dollars.
MIECHV’s upfront investment in families protects children and reduces government dependence down the road.  There is broad bipartisan support for the program, including dozens of national organizations and hundreds of state and local organizations, ranging from business leaders, law enforcement officers, faith-based groups, healthcare providers, child welfare advocacy organizations, and early education providers.
Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet with Nebraskans across the district working toward self-sufficiency through this program and see firsthand the positive outcomes being achieved.  At one of these visits earlier this year, I spent time with a participant named Dawn who shared how she found a stable home and a steady income to provide for her growing family through a home visiting program.  She is now working toward her college degree.
These are the types of outcomes we should be expecting and receiving from the use of limited taxpayer resources.
We must focus on solutions which truly empower Americans through independence and productivity.  I am glad the Committee has affirmed the importance of reauthorizing MIECHV, and I look forward to bringing this bill to the
House floor.