If the U.S. Senate does not extend federal funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Fund by the end of the month, an estimated 26,000 workers in Illinois could lose jobs they acquired through the successful Put Illinois to Work program. "The program has exceeded all our expectations," Caronina Grimble, senior project manager at the Illinois Department of Human Services, told the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. "Our worker-trainees are thrilled to be earning a paycheck that allows them to meet their basic needs and learn new skills. Our employers are grateful for the opportunity to expand their workforce during a time of economic uncertainty."

The House has twice passed extensions that did not add to the federal deficit.