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Stop TANF-funded Marriage Programs

Reduce Poverty Using Proven Methods: Eliminate Federal Funding of Marriage Promotion

We the undersigned call upon the Obama Administration and Congress to pursue effective policies to reduce poverty. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives are ineffective and divert funds away from poverty reduction; they should be eliminated.

  • Marriage promotion is not supported by scientific evidence.
  • The real needs of low-income families would be better served by proven policies, such as increasing cash benefits and enhancing work supports.
  • The 2008 GAO report on Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grants documents insufficient federal oversight.
  • The Responsible Fatherhood initiative excludes mothers raising children.
  • The low-income families headed by lesbians and gay men deserve assistance and will not benefit from governmental marriage promotion.
  • Governmental marriage promotion raises privacy and Establishment Clause concerns.

We applaud President Obama's commitment to reduce poverty and to enhance equality. The Department of Health and Human Services will play a vital role in this effort. Fair and effective administration of our major poverty assistance programs, especially TANF, is critical.

We call upon Congress, in the upcoming TANF reauthorization legislation, (1) to make the reduction of poverty the sole statutory purpose of the TANF program, and (2) to remove all references to, and allocations for, the promotion of marriage via TANF.

Join the Coalition to be listed as a signatory and to receive campaign updates!


AtMP is the only national organization dedicated to ending discrimination on the basis of marital status and achieving equitable recognition for all caring relationships. If you would like to receive occasional updates about some of our other projects, please indicate your interests below.

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Signatories

AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland
Alternatives to Marriage Project
Center for Inquiry
Center for Women Policy Studies
Family Equality Council
Legal Momentum
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, New York City
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce
Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights
Sistersong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective
Stop Family Violence
SWWAN (R), Inc. and the SWWAN Foundation
YWCA USA

Maggie Bagon

Susanne Beechey, Assistant Professor of Politics, Whitman College

Abigail Boggs, University of California, Davis

Lisa Duggan, Professor, New York University

Elizabeth Hagovsky

Jean Hardisty, Senior Scholar, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College

Melissa Haussman, Associate Professor, Political Science, Carleton University

Melanie Heath, Assistant Professor of Sociology, McMaster University

Gwendolyn Mink

Celine-Marie Pascale, Professor, American University

Nancy Polikoff, Professor of Law, Washington College of Law, American University

Anna Marie Smith, Professor of Government, Cornell University

Noah Zatz, Acting Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law

as of 10/2/09 - list in formation