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    "localId": "4525593",
    "label": "Ford Press Releases - Welfare, 1972-1973",
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    "id": "4525593",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Ford Press Releases - Welfare, 1972-1973",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4525593",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Press Releases Subject Files"
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    "subjects": [
        "Legislation",
        "Welfare"
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        "logicalDate": "1973-02-28",
        "month": 2,
        "year": 1973
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        "logicalDate": "1972-03-01",
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    "seq": 1,
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    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0054/642076/4525593.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D9, folder \"Ford Press Releases - Welfare,\n1972-1973\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the\nGerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nHouse Galleries only\naffice Copy\nCONGRESSMAN\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nMarch 24, 1972\nThe Welfare Rights Organization is engaging in an irresponsible act in\nusing the school children of the District of Columbia as political pawns. The\nWRO is exploiting D.C. school children as a part of the political games it is\nplaying to promote ridiculously high welfare payments. If WRO really were\nconcerned about the welfare of children, it would not expose them to possible\ninjury by herding them together for a mass march. I believe that in the\ninterests of the health and safety of D.C. school children, Mayor Walter\nWashington should revoke the permit for Saturday's so-called \"Children's March\nfor Survival.\" I would add that D.C. school officials and those D.C. School\nBoard members lending themselves to this ridiculous political exercise are to\nbe condemned for allowing the schools to be used in this propaganda maneuver.\n###\nDigitized from Box D9 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nNEWS\nCONGRESSMAN\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nMarch 24, 1972\nThe Welfare Rights Organization is engaging in an irresponsible act in\nusing the school children of the District of Columbia as political pawns. The\nWRO is exploiting D.C. school children as a part of the political games it is\nplaying to promote ridiculously high welfare payments. If WRO really were\nconcerned about the welfare of children, it would not expose them to possible\ninjury by herding them together for a mass march. I believe that in the\ninterests of the health and safety of D.C. school children, Mayor Walter\nWashington should revoke the permit for Saturday's so-called \"Children's March\nfor Survival.\" I would add that D.C. school officials and those D.C. School\nBoard members lending themselves to this ridiculous political exercise are to\nbe condemned for allowing the schools to be used in this propaganda maneuver.\n###\nDr Fifth District Only\na Office Copy\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nTHURSDAY 11\nFOR RELEASE AT 12 NOON WEDNESDAY JAN. 10, 1973, AND THEREAFTER\nRep. Gerald R. Ford today introduced a bill aimed at ending welfare cheating\nwhich deprives merchants of payment for their wares.\nThe Ford bill is directed at welfare recipients who buy a needed appliance,\nsuch as a stove or refrigerator, but don't pay for it with the welfare funds they\nare given for that purpose.\nFord said his bill would allow a state, in its discretion, to use the dual\nsignature method of making welfare payments to families with dependent children.\nThis \"restricted\" or vendor payment insures that the money owed the merchant will\nbe paid, Ford said.\nAt present, a State can employ the dual signature method of disbursing\nwelfare funds but only where the welfare recipient has demonstrated an inability to\nmanage money. Also, the dual signature practice must be limited to 10 per cent of\nthe entire welfare load.\nThe Ford bill would provide clear-cut Federal authority for State discretion\nin the use of vendor payments. This would eliminate any possibility that the State\nwould lose Federal matching funds.\n\"This legislation is important in terms of justice to the merchant and\nimproved operation of our welfare system, which is badly in need of reform,\"\nFord said.\n\"We shouldn't have any cheating in the welfare system,\" he continued.\n\"When the public sees welfare cheating, even if it is practiced by only a few, the\npublic loses faith in the entire system and gets the impression that everyone on\nwelfare cheats. My bill would improve matters for everyone concerned --- those on\nwelfare, the merchant, and the public-at-large.\"\n###\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nFOR RELEASE AT 12 NOON THURSDAY, JAN. 11, 1973, AND THEREAFTER\nRep. Gerald R. Ford today introduced a bill aimed at ending welfare cheating\nwhich deprives merchants of payment for their wares.\nThe Ford bill is directed at welfare recipients who buy a needed appliance,\nsuch as a stove or refrigerator, but don't pay for it with the welfare funds they\nare given for that purpose.\nFord said his bill would allow a state, in its discretion, to use the dual\nsignature method of making welfare payments to families with dependent children.\nThis \"restricted\" or vendor payment insures that the money owed the merchant will\nbe paid, Ford said.\nAt present, a State can employ the dual signature method of disbursing\nwelfare funds but only where the welfare recipient has demonstrated an inability to\nmanage money. Also, the dual signature practice must be limited to 10 per cent of\nthe entire welfare load.\nThe Ford bill would provide clear-cut Federal authority for State discretion\nin the use of vendor payments. This would eliminate any possibility that the State\nwould lose Federal matching funds.\n\"This legislation is important in terms of justice to the merchant and\nimproved operation of our welfare system, which is badly in need of reform,\"\nFord said.\n\"We shouldn't have any cheating in the welfare system,\" he continued.\n\"When the public sees welfare cheating, even if it is practiced by only a few, the\npublic loses faith in the entire system and gets the impression that everyone on\nwelfare cheats. My bill would improve matters for everyone concerned -- those on\nwelfare, the merchant, and the public-at-large.\"\n###\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nFor Release Thursday, Jan. 18, 1973\nRep. Gerald R. Ford Thursday reintroduced his \"runaway pappy\" bill, a piece\nof legislation aimed at fathers who have fled to other states to escape paying\nchild support.\nThe Ford bill would make child support orders enforceable in Federal\ncourts. It would bring Federal authority to bear on the problem of non-support\nby husbands and fathers who shirk their parental responsibilities.\nFord said passage of his bill would give legal sanction to the moral and\nsocial obligations every husband has to take care of his family.\n\"The main purpose of the bill,\" Ford said, \"is to try to deter a man from\nleaving a state to avoid paying for child support under an order obtained against\nhim.\"\nThe Ford bill grants jurisdiction to Federal officials to act in those cases\nwhere a man flees from one state to another to evade his obligations under a divorce\ndecree or child support order issued by a state court. The bill makes it a crime\nfor a man to move out of the state to avoid obeying the state court order.\nThe states cannot get uniform state action on this matter, and the cost of\nextradition from one state to another is too great for a state or local government,\nFord said.\nFord stated: \"We need the help of the Federal government to get at husbands\nand fathers who refuse to support their children and flee to another state to\nescape their responsibilities. I think we should throw the forces of the Federal\ngovernment into pursuit of fathers who run off and leave their families with no\nmeans of support. A man who abandons his children is just as much a felon as the\nman who steals an automobile.'\nUnder the proposed Federal law, nonsupport cases would be heard by Federal\ncourts in the state where the fugitive father is residing at the time. He would\nbe given the option of supporting his children or going to jail. It would not be\nnecessary to return the man to the state where the nonsupport or desertion charges\nhad been brought.\n# #\n7 ifth District Only\naffice Cory\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nFor Release Thursday, Jan. 18, 1973\nRep. Gerald R. Ford Thursday reintroduced his \"runaway pappy\" bill, a piece\nof legislation aimed at fathers who have fled to other states to escape paying\nchild support.\nThe Ford bill would make child support orders enforceable in Federal\ncourts. It would bring Federal authority to bear on the problem of non-support\nby husbands and fathers who shirk their parental responsibilities.\nFord said passage of his bill would give legal sanction to the moral and\nsocial obligations every husband has to take care of his family.\n\"The main purpose of the bill,\" Ford said, \"is to try to deter a man from\nleaving a state to avoid paying for child support under an order obtained against\nhim.\"\nThe Ford bill grants jurisdiction to Federal officials to act in those cases\nwhere a man flees from one state to another to evade his obligations under a divorce\ndecree or child support order issued by a state court. The bill makes it a crime\nfor a man to move out of the state to avoid obeying the state court order.\nThe states cannot get uniform state action on this matter, and the cost of\nextradition from one state to another is too great for a state or local government,\nFord said.\nFord stated: \"We need the help of the Federal government to get at husbands\nand fathers who refuse to support their children and flee to another state to\nescape their responsibilities. I think we should throw the forces of the Federal\ngovernment into pursuit of fathers who run off and leave their families with no\nmeans of support. A man who abandons his children is just as much a felon as the\nman who steals an automobile.\"\nUnder the proposed Federal law, nonsupport cases would be heard by Federal\ncourts in the state where the fugitive father is residing at the time. He would\nbe given the option of supporting his children or going to jail. It would not be\nnecessary to return the man to the state where the nonsupport or desertion charges\nhad been brought.\n###\nFull Distribution\nO Office Copy\nNEWS\nCONGRESSMAN\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nFOR RELEASE AT 12 NOON FRIDAY--\nFebruary 9, 1973\nNote to Correspondents: Please see attached letter to HEW Secretary Caspar\nWeinberger.\nRep. Gerald R. Ford today urged HEW Secretary Caspar Weinberger to order an\nHEW policy change which would enable states to wipe out welfare cheating.\nFord asked Weinberger to allow states discretionary use of the dual payee\nsystem of making payments to welfare recipients--the requirement that payment for\nspecific goods, services or items be in the form of checks which are drawn jointly\nto the order of the recipient and the person furnishing the goods, services or items\nand negotiable only upon endorsement by both such recipient and such person.\nThe need for such restrictive payments is made clear by a study conducted in\nGenesee County, Michigan by the Michigan Department of Social Services and the\nGenesee County Dental Society, Ford said.\nThis study showed that in cases where dental work was performed on welfare\nrecipients, only 50 per cent of the money sent to those recipients for payment of\ntheir dental bills was actually used for that purpose.\nR. Bernard Houston, director of the Michigan Department of Social Services,\nhas informed Ford: \"The conclusion (of those making the Genesee County study) was\nthat if public accountability and recipients' dental and optometric needs were of\nany concern, the need for change in the payment system was scarcely arguable.\"\nPayment for needed services to welfare recipients is part of their cash\ngrant in Michigan.\nIn a letter to Ford, Houston said: \"This worked fairly well for a while, but\nas caseloads increased abuse increased. To be specific, many recipients received\npayment for authorized service and never returned to receive the service, or if\nreceived, did not pay for it. The incidence of this abuse reached such proportions\nthat many individual doctors and, in some instances, county professional societies\nrefused further service to welfare recipients.'\nFord has introduced a bill, H.R. 1750, which would give the states\ndiscretionary power to use the dual payee system as much as they wish without losing\nFederal welfare payments.\nHEW restricts use of the dual payee system to 10 per cent of the welfare\ncaseload and then only to cases where the recipient has demonstrated inability to\nmanage money.\nFord said he would be delighted to see Weinberger order the policy change,\nmaking his dual payee bill unnecessary.\n###\nGERALD R. FORD\nFIFTH DISTRICT, MICHIGAN\nMICHIGAN OFFICE:\n425 CHERRY STREET SE.\nGRAND RAPIDS\nZIP 49502\nCongress of the United States\nOffice of the Minority Leader\nhouse of Representatives\nWashington, D.C. 20515\nFebruary 7, 1973\nThe Honorable Caspar Weinberger\nSecretary\nDepartment of Health, Education\nand Welfare\nWashington, D. C.\nDear Mr. Secretary:\nI am writing you with regard to welfare cheating--the failure of persons\non welfare to pay for items or services with funds provided them for\nthat purpose.\nThe remedy for such cheating is the dual payee system-the requirement\nthat payment for specific goods, services or items be in the form of\nchecks which are drawn jointly to the order of the recipient and the\npersons furnishing the goods, services or other items and negotiable\nonly upon endorsement by both such recipient and such person.\nThis would apply, for instance, to the payment of rent, payments for\ndental and optometric services, and the purchase of such appliances as\na refrigerator.\nMichigan has sought to use this dual signature method of assuring pay-\nment for services and goods provided to welfare recipients since\nFebruary 1971. But HEW has consistently maintained that the dual\nsignature method can only be used where welfare recipients have demon-\nstrated inability to manage money--and even then it must be restricted\nto 10 per cent of the welfare caseload.\nR. Bernard Houston, director of the Michigan Department of Social\nServices, maintains that the policy being pursued by HEW is unrealistic--\nand I agree.\nI have introduced legislation (H.R. 1750) which would allow a State\ndiscretionary use of the dual signature method in cases involving aid\nto dependent children. States would be permitted to use the dual\nsignature method broadly without risking loss of Federal welfare payments.\nThe Honorable Caspar Weinberger\nFebruary 7, 1973\nPage 2\nHowever, Mr. Houston believes that HEW can remedy the present situation\nsimply through a change in regulations.\nI therefore urge that you, as Secretary of HEW, order a change in\npolicy to allow states to use the dual signature method without loss\nof Federal assistance. Even if it were possible to gain enactment of\nH.R. 1750 in a relatively short time, I would be glad to see the\nobjective accomplished through departmental regulation.\nI hope I may have a reply from you in the near future.\nBest regards,\n/s/ Jerry Ford\nGerald R. Ford, M.C.\nGRF:pc"
}