Video evidence - Defends the system
Ruth Anne Thornton
Director, Child Support Division, Texas Office of the Attorney General; hearing witness
Video: Work and Welfare Subcommittee Hearing on Strengthening the Child Support Enforcement Program
House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare hearing, "Strengthening the Child Support Enforcement Program: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities for Modernization", 2026-01-21
Ruth Anne Thornton
House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare hearing, "Strengthening the Child Support Enforcement Program: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities for Modernization" - 2026-01-21
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What is said at 51:51
"States like Texas who continue retain collections do so based on the original policy intent which is that when public assistance is provided that the state has a legitimate interest in recovering that. However, as I also mentioned, we've shifted our focus more from being a cost recovery state to avoiding costs."
Excerpt source: YouTube auto captions. Checked 2026-10-13.
What they argue
Defends state retention of child support for families on public assistance as a legitimate interest, while describing Texas's shift toward cost avoidance; asks that cooperation requirements be kept if full distribution is adopted.
Position label: Defends the system. It describes this clip only, and "abolish" is used only when the speaker says it.
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