Doris Matsui: “I truly appreciate their efforts and the fact that they showed a great deal of sensitivity to some of the States…”

“I truly appreciate their efforts and the fact that they showed a great deal of sensitivity to some of the States, obviously like Michigan, but particularly a State like California. It was obvious that the penalties that were imposed some 10, 12 years ago were much too stringent. To take away all of the AFDC monies for the failure of creating the incentive program, it just was not a realistic penalty suggestion. As a result of that, everybody, including the State of California, knew that enforcement would not occur. But this is a realistic proposal. This is one in which I believe it is incumbent upon the States, particularly the State of California, to comply with. Back in the mid-1960s, Sacramento County, my county, actually had a child support enforcement section of the Sacramento County DA's department. That was being run at that time by an attorney Virginia Mueller, who was a Cornell graduate. We have had great success in Sacramento County. But in the State of California today, unfortunately, in all 58 counties we have a performance rate of 14 percent, absolutely shameful.”