Jerry Nadler: “this is a very good bill to improve child support collections and to assert the priority of giving child support…”

“this is a very good bill to improve child support collections and to assert the priority of giving child support collections to the custodial parent, the mother usually, rather than to the States, as at present. That is a very good thing to do, and I applaud the sponsors of the bill. I do think there is one defect in the bill, which could be very much improved by the amendment to be offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), and I rise in support of that amendment. No one opposes the participation of religious institutions in this or any other program. In fact, currently, many religious organizations, including Catholic Charities, Protestant Welfare Services, and so forth, play a vital role in the delivery of these services. The problem is not their participation; the problem is allowing a taxpayer-funded program to be restricted, as the language in this bill would currently do; allowing a taxpayer-funded program to be restricted to members of only a particular religion or forcing an unwilling participant to participate in a religious activity or to be subject to proselytization in order to receive taxpayer-funded services. As presently drafted, this bill would allow that, and that is a real defect. We should respect the religious beliefs of every American. That is what religious liberty is all about. We should never ask anyone to lay aside his or her beliefs in order to receive taxpayer-funded services.”