sorenson secretary treasury argued january decided april internal revenue code irc allows individual responsible support child living credit income taxes due equal certain percentage much earned income exceed specified amount credit exceeds tax liability excess considered overpayment tax irc section provides refund overpayment person made section requires amount overpayment reduced amount payments assigned state section social security act ssa directs secretary treasury intercept tax refunds payable persons failed meet obligations assigned state petitioner husband fell behind support payments child previous marriage custody former wife latter upon applying welfare benefits state washington assigned state required aid families dependent children program right collect unpaid payments petitioner husband dependent child living filed joint federal income tax return income attributable petitioner wages unemployment compensation benefits anticipated refund based part credit internal revenue service however notified certain amount anticipated refund retained authority law paid state washington petitioner filed class action federal district seeking declaration ssa reach refund attributable excess credit district granted summary judgment government appeals affirmed held excess credit properly intercepted applicable statutes pp irc treatment credits supports government position refundability credit inseparable classification overpayment tax overpayment purposes also purposes eligibility credit depend upon individual actually paid tax irc classification credit overpayment refunded similarly independent individual actually made payment extent excess credit payable individual payable refund tax paid pp support petitioner claim congress intend program reach excess credits although congress never mentioned credit enacting omnibus budget reconciliation act added irc must aware provided overpayment refunded shall reduced amount child support include refunds attributable excess credits although goals credit reduce disincentive work caused social security taxes earned income stimulate economy funneling funds persons likely spend money immediately provide relief families hurt rising food energy prices important said congress concluded outweigh goals served subsequently enacted program securing child support absent parents reducing number families welfare pp blackmun delivered opinion burger brennan white marshall powell rehnquist joined stevens filed dissenting opinion post peter greenfield argued cause petitioner briefs bruce smith richard farber argued cause respondents brief solicitor general fried assistant attorney general archer albert lauber michael paup steven frahm joseph lieberman attorney general connecticut joseph dumond assistant attorney general filed brief state connecticut amicus curiae urging affirmance justice blackmun delivered opinion internal revenue code social security act direct secretary treasury intercept certain tax refunds payable persons failed meet obligations case appeals ninth circuit ruled payments involving credits intercepted granted certiorari ruling conflict decisions courts appeals second tenth circuits see rucker secretary treasury nelson regan cert denied sub nom manning nelson stanley sorenson husband petitioner marie sorenson legally obligated make payments child previous marriage custody former wife sorenson unemployed disability fell behind support payments former wife applied welfare benefits state washington since program aid families dependent children afdc required condition eligibility applicants welfare assign state concerned right payments accrued time assignment pub stat thus stanley sorenson former wife turned state right collect payments sorenson failed make stanley marie sorenson also dependent child living thus potentially eligible receive credit calendar year time relevant lawsuit internal revenue code amended provided individual responsible support child living allowed credit tax imposed taxable year amount equal percent much earned income taxable year exceed amount taxpayer earned income increased amount credit decreased reaching zero taxpayer adjusted gross income reached unlike certain credits used offset tax otherwise owed credit refundable thus individual credit exceeds tax liability excess amount considered overpayment tax read code subject specified setoffs directs secretary credit refund overpayment person made individual entitled credit exceeds amount tax owes thereby receives difference overpaid tax amount february petitioner husband timely filed joint federal income tax return calendar year petitioner worked part year sorenson family income year attributable wages unemployment compensation benefits return filed sorensons anticipated refund consisting part excess withholding petitioner wages part credit internal revenue service however notified sorensons anticipated refund retained authority granted law paid state washington state assigned right collect sorenson unpaid obligations see second declaration peter greenfield exh sorenson secretary treasury wd law essentially directs secretary give priority state claim recoupment welfare payments made family failed receive child support see social security act amended individual claim refund tax overpayment see amended code intercept law originally enacted part omnibus budget reconciliation act obra pub stat first obra added social security act section directs secretaries treasury health human services establish scheme state notify secretary treasury persons owe payments assigned directs secretary treasury intercept payments otherwise paid persons upon receiving notice state agency administering afdc plan named individual owes support assigned state pursuant section secretary treasury shall determine whether amounts refunds federal taxes paid payable individual regardless whether individual filed tax return married unmarried individual secretary treasury finds amount payable shall withhold refunds amount equal support pay amount state agency together notice individual home address distribution accordance section amount overpayment refunded person making overpayment shall reduced amount support defined section social security act owed person secretary notified state accordance section social security act secretary shall remit amount overpayment reduced state support assigned notify person making overpayment much overpayment necessary satisfy obligation support paid state subsection shall applied overpayment prior credited person future liability internal revenue tax negotiations concerning status tax refunds community property washington issues germane question presented secretary ultimately withheld half refund increment sorensons claimed petitioner filed class action district western district washington seeking among things declaration social security act reach refund attributable excess credit district rejected secretary jurisdictional arguments renewed appeal appeals pressed see brief respondents agreed secretary arguments merits granted summary judgment government supp appeals affirmed judgment rejected petitioner statutory construction arguments held since code expressly defined excess credits overpayments disbursed excess credits recipients income tax refund process credits payable refunds federal taxes paid therefore intercepted emphasis original congress used broad terms amounts overpayment law gave indication intended exclude credit payments terms appeals also rejected petitioner argument secretary position conflicted congress intention provide benefits poor credit first legislative history suggest credit intended primarily type welfare grant rather meant negate disincentive work caused social security taxes since credit payable lump sum like excess withholding clearly reachable intercept program like wages portion congress exempted assessment collection process see second congress intended exempt credit payments intercept program done expressly instead provided amount payable federal process might intercepted face rather clear statutory mandate said appeals conclude free speculate congress intended otherwise ii petitioner advances two arguments support claim excess credit intercepted first claims language structure interlocking statutory provisions make intercept law exclude credit reach excess credits neither overpayments refunds federal taxes paid items subject interception second claims permitting interception credit frustrate congress aims providing credit thus congress intended intercept law reach credits find neither argument persuasive internal revenue code treatment credits supports government position individual receive amount entitlement credit exceeds tax liability code defines amount overpayment provides mechanism disbursing overpayments namely income tax refund process refundability credit thus inseparable classification overpayment tax petitioner therefore acknowledges excess credit overpayment purposes general provision authorizes tax refunds see supra secretary lack authorization refunding claims however excess credit overpayment purposes overpayment purposes requires amount overpayment shall reduced amount support assigned state normal rule statutory construction assumes identical words used different parts act intended meaning helvering stockholms enskilda bank quoting atlantic cleaners dyers internal revenue code includes explicit definition overpayment subchapter strengthens presumption subsections concern treatment overpayment especially damaging claim words though act found dissimilar connections warrant conclusion employed different parts act different intent stockholms enskilda bank petitioner two courts appeals excluded excess credits definition overpayment used offer two bases position first believe limits broad definition using phrase overpayment refunded person making overpayment nelson regan see rucker secretary treasury overpayments suggest refunded persons made since consisting credits may refunded persons actually paid tax disagree refunds made secretary paid person made overpayment phrase merely identifies person entitled refund restrict nature refund petitioner must characterize person made overpayment otherwise claim excess credit phrase petitioner second tenth circuits relied virtually identical phrase used since words limiting effect petitioner proposes used justification exists giving construction second petitioner second tenth circuits perceive tension treatment excess credits treatment interceptable amounts used code sections overpayment includes refunds federal taxes paid phrase used social security act since enacted simultaneously part obra petitioner two circuits believe harmonized rather see rucker secretary treasury nelson regan second argument seems us misperceives structure law manufactures tension need exist obra placement provisions regarding interception acts reflects division functions program lies intersection social security act concern subchapter iv part child support internal revenue code concern chapter subchapter treatment credits process section addresses concerns received grants defines child support authorizes procedures notify secretary treasury entitlement recover support directs secretary aid control process recouping support sections address operation process internal revenue code define status certain tax credits set mechanism disbursing refunds direct secretary divert certain amounts refund process extent law regulates relationship secretary treasury refund claimants provision governs secretary relationship state agencies petitioner however views reference indicating meant read limitation secretary intercept powers argument depends somewhat strained construction statement amount overpayment refunded person making overpayment shall reduced amount support owed person secretary notified state accordance section social security act petitioner claims words accordance section social security act modify notified state one might initially assume rather belatedly modify words shall reduced brief petitioner petitioner view construction lead conclusion refund reduced extent refund represents refund tax actually paid since permits disagree petitioner construction reading first seems far plausible words modify nearest verb given natural reading directs secretary intercept amount properly classified support properly notified even reference read refer solely nothing subsection exempts excess credits interception petitioner second tenth circuits recast argument regarding meaning overpayment contending amount refund attributable excess credit refun federal taxes paid permits interception amounts refunds federal taxes paid refund federal taxes repayment money paid taxpayer excess taxpayer liability although earned income credit given effect income tax return credit tax refund eligibility credit contingent upon payment federal income tax rucker secretary treasury agree petitioner claim congress intend intercept program reach excess credits petitioner government agree congress never mentioned credit enacting obra see brief petitioner tr oral arg defies belief congress unaware provided overpayment refunded shall reduced amount support emphasis added include refunds attributable excess credits congress previously expressly defined excess credit overpayment internal revenue code section immediately preceding section congress added intercept provision petitioner second tenth circuits really claiming intercept law read narrowly avoid frustrating goals credit program credit enacted reduce disincentive work caused imposition social security taxes earned income welfare payments similarly taxed stimulate economy funneling funds persons likely spend money immediately provide relief families hurt rising food energy prices undeniably important objective impossible however us say goals outweigh goals served subsequently enacted program securing child support absent parents whenever possible reducing number families welfare congress course conclude families eligible credits compelling claim funds involved either families equally clear congress decided pressing need alleviate devastating consequences children taxpayers epidemic nonsupport see hearing senate committee finance spending reduction proposals pt statement secretary schweiker ordering competing social policies quintessentially legislative function light congress decision direct interception overpayment otherwise refundable taxpayer ninth circuit correctly refused speculate congress intended otherwise judgment accordingly affirmed ordered footnotes tax reform act pub stat congress redesignated act stat raised percentage percent maximum amount credit eligibility ceiling time relevant lawsuit code provided pertinent part amount allowable credits sections relating tax withheld wages relating certain uses gasoline special fuels lubricating oil relating earned income credit exceeds tax imposed subtitle reduced credits allowable subpart part iv subchapter chapter credits allowable sections amount excess shall considered overpayment amount allowable credits subpart part iv subchapter chapter relating refundable credits exceeds tax imposed subtitle reduced credits allowable subparts part iv amount excess shall considered overpayment version effect tax year provided case overpayment secretary within applicable period limitations may credit amount overpayment including interest allowed thereon liability respect internal revenue tax part person made overpayment shall subject subsection refund balance person section spending reduction act stat amended amended secretary authority respect refunds payable december january see act stat restricted new subsection well subsection section act stat added new subsection section requires offset debts owed various federal agencies collection payments pursuant priority collection debts covered section amended child support enforcement amendments pub stat authorized interception diversion refunds benefit children well children receiving afdc benefits amendments also provided additional procedural protections refund claimants whose refunds intercepted light congress specific reference earlier seems particularly likely congress referred subsection expressly meant accordance rather accordance entire scheme identifying support payments notifying federal government obligations set congress viewed credit immune seizure satisfy obligations suggested number factors well government notes individual actually received payment proceeds refund even reflect credit component subject levy code fact government may used cumbersome procedure see tr oral arg reflects economic inefficiency locating pursuing payment exceed rather lack authority certainly one suggested former spouse support obligation assigned state owed precluded employing judicial process attach seize credit recipient received see pp pp hearings senate committee finance hearings house committee ways means president authority adjust imports petroleum public debt ceiling increase emergency tax proposals cong rec see pp hearings senate committee finance spending reduction proposals pt pp hearings house committee ways means tax aspects president economic program pt pp even congress sole concern providing funds neediest children involved far certain children living households receiving refunds credits needier children owed child support credit claimed end tax year individual pursuant code receive advance credit course year may fact go recipient currently needy example individual dependent child unemployed therefore earned found job paying per year january able claim tax return filed april credit despite fact late spring refund check ultimately arrived individual might longer needy justice stevens dissenting class persons congress intended benefit creating earned income credit program composed entirely families fairly described purposes legislation credit enacted reduce disincentive work caused imposition social security taxes earned income welfare payments similarly taxed stimulate economy funneling funds persons likely spend money immediately provide relief families hurt rising food energy prices ante principal beneficiaries intercept program enacted congress part appropriately called omnibus budget reconciliation act state governments claims recoupment welfare payments made families unable enforce departed parent obligations thus real adversaries case sorensons family one hand state washington ultimately receive intercepted refund holding question whether congress intended divert federal funds original beneficiaries earned income credit program treasuries state governments notwithstanding careful admittedly accurate parsing language statute persuaded congress intent confidently asserts defies belief congress unaware impact intercept program upon earned income credit program enacted obra see ante pause tell us congress even mention important change point legislative history obra due respect hardworking neighbors congress think defies belief assume substantial number legislators sufficiently familiar obra realize somewhere vast piece hurriedly enacted legislation provision changed earned income credit program agree reading statutory language faithful grammar persuaded however actually reflects intent congress enacted obra therefore accept construction relevant statutes adopted courts appeals second tenth circuits see rucker secretary treasury nelson regan cert denied sub nom manning nelson respectfully dissent cong rec remarks long smoking big cigar speaker house representatives got angry quality bill became omnibus budget reconciliation act parts photocopied memorandums parts handwritten last minute final sections hastily crossed whorls pencil marks smiled noting cryptic accidental entries bill name phone number ruth seymour standing alone special appropriation item times july