By Tami Luhby

(EXCERPT)

TANF replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, which was broadly known as welfare. But unlike its predecessor, TANF is a fixed block grant to states — with an annual allocation of $16.5 billion annually since its inception. That means inflation has taken a toll — the value of the block grant has fallen by half, according to The Center for Law and Social Policy, a left-leaning advocacy group.

Read the full article on CNN.