Here is a possible summary:
The text is a transcript of a segment from the show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where he criticizes the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in the US. He argues that the program, which is supposed to provide cash assistance to poor families, has been abused by states for decades and has failed to help most people in poverty. He cites examples of how states have spent TANF funds on things like college scholarships, marriage counseling, crisis pregnancy centers, and even a volleyball stadium for former NFL star Brett Favre. He also points out how states have set very low income thresholds, invasive application processes, and strict work requirements that make it hard for people to qualify and keep their assistance. He calls for a fundamental reform of the program to ensure that the money goes where it is badly needed and not to politicians and government officials. He ends the segment with a humorous song that mocks the program.
Here are some key facts extracted from the text. I have numbered them and kept them short sentences.
1. TANF stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal program that provides cash assistance to families with low or no income.
2. Former NFL star Brett Favre was involved in a scandal in Mississippi, where he received over $1 million in TANF funds for public appearances and endorsements that he never delivered.
3. Favre also helped funnel $5 million in TANF funds to build a volleyball stadium at his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi.
4. Six people have been criminally charged for stealing or misusing at least $77 million in TANF funds in Mississippi from 2016 to 2019, including the former director of the state's welfare agency.
5. Retired WWE wrestler Ted "The Million Dollar Man" DiBiase's ministry received nearly $2 million in TANF funds to create a phone app for troubled teens that never materialized.
6. The TANF program was created in 1996 by President Bill Clinton, who claimed it would end welfare as we know it and move millions into the workforce.
7. The TANF program shifted the funding to a block grant, which gave states the flexibility to spend it on four broad purposes, but also did not adjust the amount for inflation or population changes, reducing its real value by 40% since 1996.
8. States have spent TANF funds on various programs that are not directly related to cash assistance for needy families, such as college scholarships, marriage counseling classes, and crisis pregnancy centers.
9. Some states have set very low income thresholds and strict requirements for TANF eligibility, making it hard for poor families to access and keep the assistance.
10. In 2018, only one in four TANF cases closed because clients found jobs, while the rest were kicked off for various reasons.
11. The average cash benefit level for a family of three is less than 20% of the poverty line in 15 states, which is about $386 per month.
12. As of last year, states were sitting on $5.2 billion in unspent TANF funds, with Tennessee having the largest pool of $790 million.