Election Issues Affecting Women 2008: Child Support

Posted on | September 21, 2008 | No Comments

McCain
John McCain has not publicly taken a position on father’s rights issues, feeling that they are best addressed in the states and in the courts. In response to questions in town hall meetings and other settings, McCain has made it clear that he has no particular interest in the father’s rights debate.

Obama
Barack Obama introduced legislation to increase child support enforcement by an additional $4.9 billion over 10 years, a measure that will collect nearly $20 billion in payments from men who don’t fulfill their parental responsibilities.

Barack Obama has re-introduced the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, ensure that support payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies, fund support services for fathers and their families, and support domestic violence prevention efforts.