Sean Patrick Maloney: “Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that raising a child is the responsibility of both parents, so it is a national disgrace…”

“Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that raising a child is the responsibility of both parents, so it is a national disgrace that we collect only 18 percent of all child support cases. Everyone knows that establishing paternity will increase accountability. So it is unacceptable that we identify only 18 percent of the AFDC children without a legal father. Everyone knows that increasing child support collection is very doable, so it is simply wrong that we collect only $14 billion out of a potential $48 billion every year. That is a $34 billion gap that could be collected and be part of the Federal Treasury. Mr. Speaker, enforcing comprehensive child support should be high priority of Congress. We can and should expand the penalties for child support delinquency. We can and should simplify the procedures for establishing paternity. We can and should set up a national registry of child support orders. We can and should institute more performance-based incentives. However, Mr. Speaker, I have looked, and I cannot find these provisions in the Contract With America. Mr. Speaker, any welfare reform should also have reforms for child support enforcement.”