Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

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Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation to ensure that noncustodial parents pay child support, instead of fleeing off to hide from their responsibilities. I commend my fellow Kansas colleagues, Congressman Dennis Moore and Congressman Jerry Moran, for introducing similar legislation in the House.

The problem is this: noncustodial parents could potentially avoid paying their responsible share of child support by leaving the country. State child support enforcement agencies must certify cases to the State Department for passport denial if the child support debt is over $2,500. The loophole that emerges is for those deadbeat parents who already have a passport. Under current implementation of the law, the next opportunity for enforcement is at the renewal of the passport, which could be several years down the road. The legislation I offer today closes that loophole, and simply instructs the State Department to revoke, in addition to denying, a noncustodial parent's passport once the individual's child support debt exceeds $2,500. Studies show that the receipt of child support is a key factor that keeps a child and single parent family from living in or near poverty. Beyond the financial security that steady child support provides, there is a greater likelihood that noncustodial parents are personally involved in their child's life. If a parent shows responsibility financially, there is a bigger chance that he or she is involved emotionally. The impact of a noncustodial parent's involvement in his child's life, in many cases, results in better grades and fewer behavioral problems.

In Kansas alone, there are currently 131,000 child support cases open, including those receiving public assistance, and those above that income bracket. Last year, the Kansas Child Support Enforcement Program collected $156 million in child support.

Now, you might ask: What percentage of the population will this help? I would concede that, although this may not impact a high percentage of those children and families receiving child support, the impact on an individual family is very significant. According to my state's limited records on this issue, approximately 50 passport applications and renewals are denied on a yearly basis. That figure does not include those passports that should be revoked. The Kansas Child Support Enforcement Program estimates that the number of deadbeat parents affected would increase to 250. The security afforded by the steady stream of child support could be the lone determinant of a family living in poverty or existing on adequate financial ground.

I encourage my colleagues to add their support to this important fix. We must ensure that the tools provided to the states have the teeth necessary to discourage deadbeat parents from running out on their financial responsibilities.

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