Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Kids Before Cuts Act prohibits the federal government from withholding funds for three major assistance programs—Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Child Care Development Fund, and the Social Services Block Grant—unless Congress explicitly approves such action through new legislation. The bill was introduced in response to the Trump administration's announced freeze of $10 billion in federal funds for social services and child care in January 2025, which would have affected approximately 100,000 families and over 152,000 children, particularly in Illinois. The legislation reinforces Congress's constitutional "power of the purse" by preventing executive branch officials from unilaterally redirecting or freezing funds that lawmakers have already allocated for these programs. The bill applies to all states receiving these federal funds and would require any future funding freezes to receive explicit congressional authorization rather than relying on executive discretion.
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