califano westcott argued april decided june together pratt commissioner department public welfare massachusetts westcott et also appeal section social security act governs aid families dependent children unemployed father program provides benefits families whose dependent children deprived parental support unemployment father provide benefits mother becomes unemployed class action instituted federal district secretary department health education welfare secretary commissioner massachusetts department public welfare commissioner appellees two couples infant son satisfy requirements benefits except requirement parent unemployed within meaning act applicable regulations father appellees alleged implementing regulations discriminate basis gender violation fifth fourteenth amendments sought declaratory injunctive relief district declared unconstitutional insofar establishes classification discriminates solely basis sex determined extension program families needy children either parent unemployed rather nullification program proper remedial course subsequently district declined modify order permit commissioner pay benefits families needy children deprived parental support unemployment family principal secretary challenges holding constitutionality whereas commissioner challenges relief held gender classification substantially related attainment important valid statutory goals rather part baggage sexual stereotypes orr orr presumes father primary responsibility provide home essentials stanton stanton mother center home family life taylor louisiana legislation rests presumptions without survive scrutiny due process clause fifth amendment pp constitutionality sustained theory although incorporates gender distinction discriminate women class affects family units rather individuals pp gender distinction survive constitutional scrutiny substantially related achievement important governmental objective serve statutory goal providing aid needy children substantially related achieving alleged objective program reducing incentive fathers desert order make families eligible assistance pp since party argued nullification program proper remedial course inclined consider issue power order extension program clearly beyond constitutional competence federal district however previous decisions routinely affirmed district judgments ordering extension federal welfare programs suggest strongly remedial incapacity exists pp district ordering benefits paid families either mother father unemployed within meaning act rather accepting principal model suggested commissioner adopted simplest equitable extension possible pp blackmun delivered opinion brennan white marshall stevens joined powell filed opinion concurring part dissenting part burger stewart rehnquist joined post william alsup argued cause appellant brief solicitor general mccree sara sun beale paul johnson assistant attorney general massachusetts argued cause appellant briefs francis bellotti attorney general stephen rosenfeld assistant attorney general henry freedman argued cause appellees cases brief appellees westcott et al kenneth neiman michael trister solicitor general mccree filed brief federal appellee fn ruth bader ginsburg diana steele phyllis segal nancy duff campell filed brief american civil liberties union et al amici curiae urging affirmance cases stephan landsman anthony touschner charles guerrier barbara kaye besser filed brief cathy stevens et al amici curiae urging affirmance justice blackmun delivered opinion section social security act stat amended part aid families dependent children program provides benefits families whose dependent children deprived parental support unemployment father provide benefits mother becomes unemployed district district massachusetts held distinction violates due process clause fifth amendment ordered benefits paid families deprived support unemployment mother extent paid families deprived support unemployment father supp appeals secretary department health education welfare hew challenges holding constitutionality question relief ordered district commissioner massachusetts department public welfare dpw acquiesces decision merits contests relief aid families dependent children afdc program stat amended et provides financial assistance families needy dependent children program administered participating conformity federal standards financed federal government basis king smith shea vialpando originally enacted afdc program provided benefits families whose dependent children needy death absence incapacity parent batterton francis provision forms core afdc program today gender neutral benefits available family long one parent either sex dead absent home incapacitated family otherwise meets financial requirements eligibility congress temporarily extended afdc program provide assistance families whose dependent children deprived support parent unemployment batterton francis philbrook glodgett provision gender neutral dependent child purposes determining eligibility afdc benefits defined include needy child deprived parental support care reason unemployment parent stat emphasis added part general revision social security act congress made extension permanent however added gender qualification statute definition dependent child amended include needy child deprived parental support care reason unemployment father emphasis added portion afdc program known aid families dependent children unemployed father although chosen participate basic afdc program plus guam district columbia take part program one commonwealth massachusetts appellees two couples stipulated satisfy requirements benefits except requirement unemployed parent father cindy william westcott married infant son applied massachusetts dpw public assistance informed qualify william unable find work previously employed sufficient period qualify unemployed father act applicable regulations cindy recent unemployment family breadwinner satisfied unemployment criteria male susan john westwood also married infant son applied medicaid benefits family eligible receiving benefits turned ground john prior work history insufficient susan like cindy westcott family breadwinner losing job qualified family benefits male appellees instituted class action district district massachusetts naming defendants secretary hew commissioner dpw appellees alleged implementing regulations discriminate basis gender violation fifth fourteenth amendments sought declaratory injunctive relief district certified case class action granted appellees motion summary judgment supp found gender qualification substantially related achievement important governmental interests rather product archaic overbroad generalization mothers two parent families breadwinners loss earnings substantially affect families well accordingly declared unconstitutional insofar establishes classification discriminates solely basis sex district turned question relief saw two remedial alternatives simple injunction operation program extension program families needy children either parent unemployed decided extension rather nullification proper remedial course noted strength congress commitment specific goal assisting needy children emphasized provision benefits halted constitutional defect many persons lose means subsistence therefore order dated april enjoined commissioner refusing grant benefits families made needy unemployment mother amounts standards grants benefits families made needy unemployment father app juris statement pp likewise enjoined secretary refusing provide federal matching funds payment benefits although commissioner originally agreed appropriate remedy juris statement later sought modification district order effect limited extension program commissioner requested permitted pay benefits families needy children deprived parental support care unemployment family principal app juris statement emphasis added modification argued accomplish extension program much lower cost august district denied commissioner motion believing reformulation statutory scheme goes beyond remedy already ordered case properly left congressional action secretary pursuant appealed directly district april decision holding unconstitutional app juris statement commissioner took separate appeal also pursuant district august refusal modify remedial order app juris statement noted probable jurisdiction consolidated cases argument ii secretary appeal secretary readily concedes entails gender distinction brief appellant submits however act award afdc benefits father denies mother rather grant denial aid based father unemployment necessarily affects equal degree one man one woman one children secretary puts even statute ibid persuaded analysis mothers primary providers families unemployed obviously gender biased deprives families benefits solely basis sex secretary argument bottom turns fact impact gender qualification felt family units rather individuals hesitated strike gender classifications result benefits granted denied family units basis sex qualifying parent see frontiero richardson military quarters allowances medical dental benefits weinberger wiesenfeld survivor benefits califano goldfarb survivor benefits califano jablon summarily supp md spousal benefits cases statute discriminates one particular category family female spouse wage earner goldfarb plurality opinion secretary appears acknowledge force precedents suggests involved benefits either form compensation earned woman member labor force directly related compensation present case contrast benefits part noncontributory welfare program thus secretary argues gender qualification distinguishable contained earlier cases denigrate efforts women work whose earnings contribute significantly families support wiesenfeld distinction benefits forms government largesse may relevant equal protection analysis example determining whether differential treatment survivor benefits denigrates efforts deceased spouse wiesenfeld goldfarb plurality opinion mean however constitution indifferent statute conditions availability noncontributory welfare benefits basis gender secretary argument contrary effect invites return discredited view welfare benefits privilege subject guarantee equal protection see graham richardson putting labels aside exclusion anything pernicious frontiero wiesenfeld goldfarb benefits fringe benefits type social assistance paid without regard need rather subsistence payments made available last resort families otherwise lack basic necessities deprivation imposed moreover mere procedural barrier like requirement frontiero goldfarb absolute bar qualification aid therefore reject contention classification imposed discriminate basis gender secretary next argues gender distinction imposed survives constitutional scrutiny substantially related achievement important governmental objective orr orr califano webster craig boren secretary identifies two important objectives served first obviously statute intended provide aid children deprived basic sustenance parent unemployment hew secretary ribicoff put testimony house ways means committee justification whatsoever denying child unemployed parent food give child parent deserts absent dead hearings house committee ways means appellant secretary contend however gender qualification serves achieve goal tr oral arg since families mother principal wage earner unemployed often much need benefits medicaid families father unemployed second statute designed remedy structural fault original afdc program program family eligible benefits deprived parental support continued absence home parent times economic adversity provision thought create incentive father desert pretend desert order make family eligible assistance section providing afdc benefits families rendered needy parental unemployment intended reduce incentive thereby promote goal family stability secretary submits reducing incentive father desert important objective program argues gender qualification substantially related achievement perceive however least two flaws argument although relatively clear congress concerned problem parental desertion see evidence gender distinction designed address problem see weinberger wiesenfeld original afdc program temporary versions program enacted gender neutral gender qualification added permanent version escaped virtually unnoticed hearings floor debates explanation addition contained following passage appears nearly identical form house senate reports program originally conceived congress one provide aid children unemployed fathers however make families father working mother unemployed eligible assistance bill allow situations bill program apply children unemployed fathers suggests gender qualification part general objective amendments tighten standards eligibility reduce program costs congress concerned certain making assistance available families mother work father remained fully employed able support family apparently congress similarly concerned making benefits available father work mother remained fully employed appears congress image traditional family mind simply assumed father family breadwinner mother employment role secondary short available evidence indicates gender distinction inserted reduce costs eliminate perceived type superfluous eligibility benefits little suggest gender qualification anything reducing father incentive desert even actual purpose gender qualification deal problem paternal desertion appear classification substantially related achievement goal secretary argues olid statistical evidence fathers susceptible pressure desert mothers thus congress justified excluding families headed unemployed mothers program brief appellant may assume purposes discussion congress legitimately view paternal desertion problem separate distinct maternal desertion even gender qualification substantially related stated purpose evidence legislative history elsewhere father less incentive desert family mother breadwinner becomes unemployed family father breadwinner becomes unemployed either case family need equally great father equally subject pressure leave home make family eligible benefits secretary urges congress take one firm step toward goal eliminating incentive desert quoting califano jobst congress may legislate one step time step drawn along line gender consequence exclude one group families altogether badly needed subsistence benefits cf williamson lee optical conclude gender classification substantially related attainment important valid statutory goals rather part baggage sexual stereotypes orr orr presumes father primary responsibility provide home essentials stanton stanton mother center home family life taylor louisiana legislation rests presumptions without survive scrutiny due process clause fifth amendment iii commissioner appeal statute defective underinclusion justice harlan noted exist two remedial alternatives may either declare statute nullity order benefits extend class legislature intended benefit may extend coverage statute include aggrieved exclusion welsh concurring result previous cases involving equal protection challenges underinclusive federal benefits statutes suggested extension rather nullification proper course see jimenez weinberger frontiero richardson plurality opinion indeed regularly affirmed district judgments ordering welfare benefits paid members unconstitutionally excluded class califano goldfarb supp edny califano silbowitz summarily supp sd jablon califano summarily supp md weinberger wiesenfeld supp nj dept agriculture moreno supp dc richardson griffin summarily supp need however elaborate conditions invalidation rather extension federal benefits statute ordered party presented issue review parties district agreed extension appropriate remedy juris statement motion affirm juris statement appellees support remedy secretary arguing favor constitutionality urges statute invalidated district remedy affirmed brief federal appellee pp commissioner likewise argues extension rather nullification proper tr oral arg indeed commissioner appeal district april extension order august refusal limit extension along principal lines app juris statement since party presented issue extension versus nullification review inclined consider power order extension clearly beyond constitutional competence federal district previous decisions however routinely affirmed district judgments ordering extension federal welfare programs suggest strongly remedial incapacity exists narrower question presented commissioner appeal concerns merits extension versus nullification rather form extension take district ordered benefits paid families either mother father unemployed within meaning act commissioner agrees either mother father unemployment able qualify needy family benefits proposes award parent question show unemployed family principal citing legislative history program commissioner argues proposed remedy comports congress intent aid families made needy breadwinner unemployment argument preceding portions opinion show without force may assume arguendo congress knew knows might well adopted principal model suggested commissioner mean program restructured along lines federal first commissioner proposed remedy effect terminating benefits many families currently receiving act implementing regulations benefits paid needy families unemployed fathers whether father actually principal see cfr one contends act regulations insofar provide benefits families unemployed fathers invalid absent showing invalidity hesitate terminate needy families entitlement statutory benefits merely unemployed father prove breadwinner status second commissioner proposed remedy involve restructuring act undertake lightly whenever extends benefits program redress unconstitutional underinclusiveness risks infringing legislative prerogatives extension ordered district possesses least virtue simplicity ordering father replaced equivalent avoided disruption program benefits simply paid families unemployed parent terms benefits long paid families unemployed father principal solution contrast introduce term novel afdc scheme pose definitional policy questions best suited legislative administrative elaboration commissioner principal gloss parental unemployment essence asks redefine unemployment within meaning act yet congress expressly delegated secretary power prescribe standards determining constitutes unemployment purposes eligibility situation kind congress entrusts secretary rather courts primary responsibility interpreting statutory term batterton francis emphasis original remedy commissioner proposes course undeniably cheaper remedy district decreed part terminate current recipients eligibility although cost may prove dispositive factor contexts regard controlling bear main burden added coverage federal matching grants urges district remedy affirmed program furthermore optional state free drop dissatisfied added expense event estimate relative costs various types coverage gauge effect different levels expenditures upon alleviation human suffering circumstances afdc coverage along principal lines properly left democratic branches government sum believe district effort render program gender neutral adopted simplest equitable extension possible judgment district accordingly affirmed ordered footnotes participate afdc program medicaid program et individuals qualify afdc benefits also entitled receive medicaid benefits class defined massachusetts families two parents home minor dependent children born unborn otherwise eligible afdc massachusetts afdc program hence medicaid well sex discrimination federal statute massachusetts regulations chsr iii subch pt pt subpt provide granting federally funded afdc medicaid families deprived support unemployment father families deprived support mother unemployment app juris statement pp secretary contest class certification juris statement commissioner proposed define principal parent whose earned income unemployment compensation greater six months preceding month application app juris statement pp senate floor debate conference report senator muskie briefly noted opposed gender limitation cong rec overriding purpose afdc amendments give greater emphasis getting appropriate members families drawing aid families dependent children afdc payments employment thus longer dependent welfare rolls principal changes program designed accomplish end included provisions authorize federal definition unemployment secretary within certain limits set forth legislation tie program closely work training program authorized bill protect children unemployed fathers recent attachment work force conclusion reinforced fact house senate reports included material dealing specifically problem parental desertion yet none material mentioned gender qualification provision chapter application thereof person circumstance held invalid remainder chapter application provision persons circumstances shall affected thereby act example provides benefits families made needy incapacity either parent regardless parent may principal justice powell chief justice justice stewart justice rehnquist join concurring part dissenting part agree violates equal protection component fifth amendment view however erred ordered extension benefits families mother become unemployed extension reinstates system distributing benefits congress rejected amended rather frustrate clear intent congress simply enjoined payment benefits provision found unconstitutional justice harlan observed statute defective underinclusion exist two remedial alternatives may either declare nullity order benefits extend class legislature intended benefit may extend coverage statute include aggrieved exclusion welsh concurring result correctly observes gender qualification part general objective amendments tighten standards eligibility reduce program costs ante clear congress intended proscribe payment benefits families one parent unemployed principal wage earner continued work appears congress image traditional family mind simply assumed father family breadwinner mother employment role secondary ante rather thus rewriting leave task congress held statute constitutes impressible discrimination duty function legislative branch review program light decision make changes therein deems appropriate leaving resolution congress especially desirable cases one allocation distribution welfare funds peculiarly within province legislative branch see califano jobst maher roe dandridge williams predict congress think best interest total welfare program extension afdc benefits families suffering unemployment relatively recent development history program development congress made permanent understanding payments limited cases principal wage earner work assume congress approved extension known ultimately payments made whenever either parent became unemployed assume congress adopt system light ruling invalid emphasizes hardships may caused enjoining program congress act possibility mentioned hardships might occasioned allocating limited funds result extension particular benefits event congress option mitigate hardships providing promptly retroactive payments injunction prohibiting payments least conserve funds appropriated congress determines group want assist relief ordered today contrast ensures irretrievable payment funds class recipients congress wish benefit clear congress intended prevent result mandated today required decision properly made congress dissent relief perhaps best approximate congress appears intended limit payment benefits families principal wage earner regardless gender become unemployed approach presents several difficulties demonstrates ante circumstances modification order sought appellant properly rejected suggests payments families breadwinner remains employed inconsistent act cases parent becomes incapacitated benefits paid regardless parent employment status history see ante overlooks special circumstances involved parent suffers incapacity cases family usually must bear costs income lost one parent unemployment also medical expenses resulting disability often quite substantial fact none parties sought step point emphasizes irrelevant issue turn intent congress interests parties less infringing legislative prerogatives ante acts behest particular litigants chooses remedy initiative