Child Support Enforcement

CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT -- (Senate - November 18, 2005)

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I talk about two subjects that are very near and dear to my heart. The first is the matter of child support enforcement. My colleagues might wonder how does that issue arise. The fact is, last night, the House of Representatives passed their version of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. As each of us knows, the purpose of that Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 is to actually bring down the Federal deficit by finding cuts in the Federal budget, the Federal budget that currently comprises something in excess of $2.5 trillion a year.

This is a very important exercise. This represents the first time, I believe, since 1997 when we have seen real and meaningful cuts in Federal spending. The challenge, of course, is that about a third of the money the Congress spends is discretionary spending. Half of that third is defense spending, and the rest of it is homeland security and other discretionary programs. But some of that you can tell by the mere description is hardly discretionary because it is important to our national security.

My point is that two-thirds of the Federal budget is not, even under any conception or definition, discretionary spending. It is Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, and we simply have to come to grips with that so-called entitlement or nondiscretionary spending in order to draw the reins in on a Federal Government that continues to grow day by day in its scope and size and expense.

I am here to say I think there are some cuts that make more sense than others and some cuts make no sense whatsoever. I consider child support money that goes to assist the States in collecting child support to fall into that last category--cuts that make no sense whatsoever. Let me explain.

The House bill will cut $5 billion in Federal funds from the child support program over 5 years--$5 billion over 5 years. It will cut $15.8 billion, almost $16 billion, over 10 years. This translates into a 40-percent reduction in Federal spending for the child support program. My State of Texas would lose $258 million over 5 years and $824 million over 10 years.

I ask unanimous consent that a chart prepared by the Center for Law and Social Policy which lays out the proposed cut to Federal child support funding State by State be printed in the RECORD.

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