PA: Don't Force Mothers in Need to Prove They Were Raped
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: Pennsylvania Representatives RoseMarie Swanger, Tom Caltagirone, Mark Gillen, Keith Gillespie, Adam Harris, and Mike Tobash
Pennsylvania seeks to drastically reduce the amount of aid a woman can receive based on the number of children she has under the TANF (Temporary Assistancce for Needy Families) program.
Effectively punishing both mothers and children, the new bill proposes that once a family has qualified for TANF assistance, a disproportionately small amount of additional aid will be given if another child is born.
But there's a catch -- a family can receive more help if a woman can prove her pregnancy was the product of rape or incest, but only if she reported the crime. Even then, the agency has the right to report evidence of false information about the woman's claim.
Either way, children will go hungry if this bill passes, and the government will have the power to use a woman's pregnancy against her.
Children deserve to eat regardless of how or when they were conceived. Urge Pennsylvania Representatives to reject Bill 2718!
Dear Pennsylvania Representatives,
It has come to my attention that you support bill 2718, which would lower TANF assistance for women based on the number of children they have except in cases of rape or incest.
However, the idea that a woman must first prove she was a victim of rape to qualify for aid that would ultimately help keep her children alive and healthy is both negligent and insulting. In many cases of rape, women do not have the proper testimonials to back up assault. This does not, however, erase the fact that they have a child that needs to be fed after their attack did not end in any repercussions whatsoever for their abuser.
This bill is also very dangerous in that it approaches the wellbeing of a child based almost entirely on its conception. A child born from any method of pregnancy still requires an adequate diet and amount of additional care.
[Your comments]I expect you, as a state representative, to take the livelihood of America's children to mind and not fault mothers on the basis of conception. I urge you to oppose this bill on the grounds that it is actually reducing aid for low-income families that wouldn't have qualified to begin with if they did not need help feeding their families.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
