By Oregon State Representative Dwayne Yunker,
Press release,
Representative Dwayne Yunker (R–Grants Pass) released the following statement regarding his request for a federal review of Oregon’s $1 million tribal TANF distribution, civil-rights compliance, and SNAP administration:
“Oregonians deserve full transparency when it comes to how federal welfare dollars are being used,” said Representative Yunker. “When a million dollars in TANF funds is distributed rapidly and outside of normal processes, the public has the right to understand the basis for that decision and whether it complies with federal law.”
“The $1 million tribal TANF distribution raises serious concerns,” said Representative Yunker. “Oregon has roughly 8,000 tribal members receiving SNAP benefits and more than 757,000 total SNAP recipients statewide. That means the Governor’s decision equates to about $125 per tribal member versus about $7 for the average SNAP recipient. And ODHS has confirmed that this allocation was not based on any proportional formula, that it used expedited, nonstandard agreements, and that they were unsure whether those agreements could be provided for legislative oversight. That is not how transparent government is supposed to work.”
“My request to federal agencies is straightforward: determine whether these ancestry-targeted allocations comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act that prohibits discrimination based on race, ancestry, or Native American affiliation and ensure Oregon is administering its SNAP and TANF programs in a way that is fair, for their intended purpose, and in full accordance with federal law,” said Representative Yunker. “The integrity of our safety-net programs depends on it.”
A copy of Representative Yunker’s oversight letter is available here: https://shorturl.at/TOac1
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