Duncan Faircloth: “We are now debating a provision of the Dole bill that addresses illegitimacy but is not at all directive or…”

“We are now debating a provision of the Dole bill that addresses illegitimacy but is not at all directive or proscriptive. The provision which the amendment by Senator Jeffords seeks to strike is a simple provision that rewards a State for reducing its illegitimacy ratio, the percentage of total births which are out of wedlock. This provision taken from the House welfare reform bill says if a State decreases its illegitimacy ratio without increasing its abortion rate, we will increase the AFDC block grant by up to 10 percent. That is what we all agree that we want. We want a reduction in out-of-wedlock births as long as it is not accomplished by an increase in abortions. We do not tell the States how to reduce illegitimacy. We simply say, ``You come up with a successful way to reduce it, and we will give you more money.'' The provision has three elements. We set a goal: reducing illegitimacy. We give the States maximum flexibility in meeting that goal. Third, we provide a financial reward for meeting the goal.”