The "Charitable Choice" provision I wrote about in the previous article has been included in other legislation since 1996. The newest incarnation is its inclusion by reference in H.R. 3073, also called the "Father's Count Act of 1999" which has passed the House and will now be considered by the Senate. The purpose of this bill, according to it's supporters, is to help fathers be better fathers by providing grants to organizations which will promote marriage, provide relationship counseling and job training to poor and low-income non-custodial fathers.
The ACLU opposes this bill specifically because of the "Charitable Choice" provision, which would place fathers in the same situation as the mother in my example int he previous article - requiring them to choose between religious liberties and receiving the benefits offered by this program. The ACLU also provides a prepared fax opposing the bill, which you may send to your Senators via the ACLU's Freedom Network "In Touch" service.
NOW opposes this bill for several reasons: The eligibility requirements specifically state that the program must "promote marriage as a means of ending poverty" regardless of the danger to women in violent situations. They are concerned about a provision of the bill would allow a state to cancel child support arrearages, or undermine efforts to collect past due child support payments. Finally, due to the "charitable choice" provision, they are concerned that taxpayer dollars would be directed to Christian fundamentalist organizations that advocate the submission of the woman to the authority of her husband, and "father's rights" groups that are overtly anti-child support, some going so far as to advocate that fathers acquire sole custody of their children to avoid the issue of child support entirely.
I think that there are far too many non-custodial fathers who do not accept responsibility for their children, and have too little involvement in their children's lives. I think that a program of counseling and assistance for such fathers is certainly a good idea. I don't think this bill is the way to do it. I don't think that fathers, any more than mothers, should be required to submit to federally-funded religious proselytizing to obtain such counseling and assistance. And, I don't want my tax dollars to go to any organization which advocates the subjugation of women in any form.
Karen
H.R. 3073 - Fathers Count Act of 1999
Full text of the bill as amended, passed by the House and referred to the Senate
Committee Report on H.R. 3073
House Committee on Ways and Means
ACLU Action Alert
American Civil Liberties Union
American Fathers: Equality or Patriarchy?
Trish Wilson, Feminista Online Journal
Charitable Choice is Often Neither
From your Guide
liznotes
From the liz library, maintained by Nick Seidenman
NOW Action Alert
National Organization for Women