morton argued april decided june respondent air force colonel stationed alaska finance office base received certified mail writ garnishment accompanied copy judgment respondent issued alabama state divorce proceeding writ directed air force withhold respondent pay satisfy sums due judgment alimony child support upon notified writ respondent told finance office alabama order void jurisdiction nevertheless finance office honored writ paid alabama deducting amount respondent pay subsequently respondent brought action claims recover amount withheld pay government submitted complete defense provides connection making federal employees including members armed services subject legal process enforce child support alimony payment obligations either disbursing officer governmental entity shall liable respect payment made moneys due payable individual pursuant legal process regular face payment made accordance statute implementing regulations claims held writ garnishment legal process within meaning definition term requires issued competent jurisdiction alabama personal jurisdiction respondent therefore respondent entitled recover amount claimed appeals affirmed holding obligor notifies government issuing garnishment order personal jurisdiction order constitute legal process regular face within meaning held government held liable honoring writ garnishment one question regular face issued jurisdiction issue orders pp words legal process must read light immediately following phrase regular face phrase makes clear term legal process require issuing personal jurisdiction plain language escaped simply obligor may provided information casting doubt issuing jurisdiction inquiry jurisdiction obligor squared plain language requires recipient writ act basis face process pp legislative history shows congress contemplate kind inquiry personal jurisdiction appeals holding require history well plain language also indicates congress intended government receive treatment private employer respect garnishment orders whereby great majority jurisdictions employer upon complying garnishment order discharged liability judgment debtor extent payment made moreover burdening garnishment process inquiry issuing jurisdiction debtor frustrate fundamental purpose remedying plight persons left destitute speedy efficacious means ensuring child support alimony paid pp controlling weight must given implementing regulations expressly provide government receives legal process face appears conform laws jurisdiction issued government required ascertain whether issuing authority obtained personal jurisdiction obligor regulations possibly considered clearly inconsistent statute arbitrary congressional intent facilitate speedy enforcement garnishment orders minimize burden government pp stevens delivered opinion unanimous michael mcconnell argued cause pro hac vice briefs solicitor general lee acting assistant attorney general willard deputy solicitor general geller leonard schaitman wendy keats mary mitchelson kaletah carroll argued cause filed brief respondent dan kinter filed brief sacramento county california et al amici curiae urging reversal justice stevens delivered opinion question presented whether liable sums withheld pay one employees compiled direction withhold sums contained writ garnishment issued without personal jurisdiction employee december respondent colonel air force stationed elmendorf air force base alaska date elmendorf finance office received certified mail writ garnishment accompanied copy judgment respondent issued circuit tenth judicial circuit alabama divorce proceeding writ regular form used alabama directed air force withhold respondent pay satisfy sums due judgment alimony child support finance office promptly notified respondent received writ advice air force attorney respondent told finance office state order void alabama jurisdiction nevertheless finance officer honored writ paid clerk alabama deducting amount respondent pay subsequently additional writs garnishment served air force similar results respondent apparently never made attempt contest garnishment beyond initial protest elmendorf finance office eventually however effect collaterally attacked garnishment bringing action recover amounts withheld pay remitted alabama government took position complete defense since congress statute provided neither disbursing officer governmental entity shall liable respect payment made moneys due payable individual pursuant legal process regular face payment made accordance section regulations issued carry section appeals federal circuit affirmed concluded obligor notifies government issuing garnishment order personal jurisdiction order constitute legal process regular face within meaning statute judge nies dissented reasoning statute required state jurisdiction enter writ garnishment notice respondent provided disbursing officer affect question whether alabama competent jurisdiction holding federal circuit creates substantial risk imposing significant liabilities upon result garnishment proceedings decision created conflict circuits granted government petition certiorari ten years ago congress decided compensation payable federal employees including members armed services subject legal process enforce employees obligations provide child support make alimony payments section social services amendments stat enacted result amended currently provides notwithstanding provision law effective january moneys entitlement based upon remuneration employment due payable district columbia including agency subdivision instrumentality thereof individual including members armed services shall subject like manner extent district columbia private person legal process brought enforcement individual legal obligations provide child support make alimony payments ii assume government alabama lacked jurisdiction respondent issued writs garnishment based assumption respondent defends judgment arguing alabama competent jurisdiction hence orders satisfy statutory definition legal process look words competent jurisdiction isolation concede statute ambiguous concept competent jurisdiction though usually used refer jurisdiction also used occasion refer jurisdiction defendant person however construe statutory phrases isolation read statutes whole thus words legal process must read light immediately following phrase regular face phrase makes clear term legal process require issuing personal jurisdiction jurisdiction defines authority hear given type case whereas personal jurisdiction protects individual interest implicated nonresident defendant haled distant possibly inconvenient forum see insurance ireland compagnie des bauxites de guinee strength interest particular case ascertained face process determined evaluating specific aggregation facts well possible vagaries law forum determining relationship defendant case obligor forum possibly particular controversy makes reasonable expect defendant defend action filed forum state statutory requirement garnishee refer face process patently inconsistent kind inquiry may required ascertain whether issuing jurisdiction obligor person plain language escaped simply obligor may provided information raises doubt concerning issuing jurisdiction must appeals holding case determination based information provided obligor rather required statute face writ garnishment writ simply direction garnishee contains information shedding light upon issuing jurisdiction obligor inquiry issuing jurisdiction debtor squared plain language statute requires recipient writ act basis face process iii legislative history contain specific discussion precise question presented case however show congress contemplate kind inquiry personal jurisdiction appeals holding require plainly identifies legislative objectives compromised requiring inquiry colloquy floor house consideration legislation two principal sponsors made clear face writ garnishment basis garnishment federal employee salary st germain essentially mother wife goes state gets judgment proceeds judgment execution proceeds garnishment correct ullman gentleman correct st germain conditions precedent ullman garnishment basis order decision basis order trial case father mother failing live obligations st germain correct alimony ullman right alimony cong rec liability private employers similar circumstances also illuminating legislative history well plain language indicates congress intended government receive treatment private employer respect garnishment orders construction statute impose liability government honoring writ issued jurisdiction inconsistent law applicable private garnishees long rule least obligor receives notice garnishment garnishee liable honoring writ garnishment see harris balk example imposing employers duty honor writs garnishment district columbia code congress enacted see stat provides payments made conformity section shall discharge liability employer judgment debtor extent payment code finally underlying purpose significant statute enacted remedy plight persons left destitute speedy efficacious means ensuring child support alimony paid burdening garnishment process inquiry state jurisdiction obligor frustrate fundamental purpose consequence resulting delay process collection ecause delay often results loss substantial rights effect frequently also make impossible ultimate well immediate collection due substitute right lifelong litigation one certain means subsistence griffin griffin rutledge dissenting part result odds congressional intent iv part amendment congress authorized promulgation regulations implementation provisions section last sentence congress indicated held liable honoring writ garnishment long payment made accordance regulations congress explicitly delegated authority construe statute regulation case must give regulations legislative hence controlling weight unless arbitrary capricious plainly contrary statute moreover implementing regulations simplify disbursing officer task deciding whether honor writ garnishment entitled special deference since precise objective congress delegated authority issue regulations relevant regulations squarely address question presented case regulations require within days service process garnishee must give notice service copy process employee cfr regulations provide garnishee entity must honor process except specified situations none involves issuing lack jurisdiction employee state governmental entity receives legal process face appears conform laws jurisdiction issued entity shall required ascertain whether authority issued legal process obtained personal jurisdiction obligor plain language statute legislative history underlying purposes well explicit regulations authorized statute indicate government held liable honoring writ garnishment regular face issued jurisdiction issue orders accordingly judgment appeals reversed ordered footnotes statute provides term legal process means writ order summons similar process nature garnishment issued competent jurisdiction within state territory possession directed purpose compel governmental entity holds moneys otherwise payable individual make payment moneys another party order satisfy legal obligation individual provide child support make alimony payments see calhoun cert denied although least initial garnishment case occurred prior passage amendment parties agree statute amended applies case however ground respondent attacks enforcement writs garnishment thus question raised concerning sufficiency notice opportunity contest garnishment respondent received prior execution writs see generally lugar edmondson oil north georgia finishing fuentes shevin sniadach family finance particular question raised whether respondent afforded adequate opportunity contest jurisdiction issuing writ jurisdiction writ enforced see generally vanderbilt vanderbilt may anderson estin estin griffin griffin far back pennoyer neff drew clear distinction competence jurisdiction parties give proceedings validity must tribunal competent constitution law creation pass upon suit involves merely determination personal liability defendant must brought within jurisdiction service process within state voluntary appearance see restatement second judgments comment see stafford briggs philbrook glodgett chemehuevi tribe indians fpc chemical workers pittsburgh plate glass see keeton hustler magazine volkswagen woodson shaffer heitner comptroller general wrote similar case inquiry whether order valid face examination procedural aspects legal process involved substantive issues whether process conforms regular face means facial validity writ need determined upon basis scrutiny trained legal mind facial validity judged light facts outside writ provisions person executing writ may know mathews comp moreover floor debates also indicate congress envisioned garnishments based foreign judgments nonresident debtors statute mr white read conference report paternity suit brought another state judgment rendered state judgment brought back texas paternity suit action line brought federal file garnishment social security veterans benefits true pettis understand correct cong rec amendment statute adding alter state affairs since specifies circumstances government liable fact legislative history amendment indicates intended clarify law see conf cong rec remarks sens curtis nunn inquiry personal jurisdiction actually inconsistent intent amendment statute memorandum explaining amendment sponsors indicated intended federal agencies respond garnishment orders promptly amendment provides specific conditions procedures followed section specifies service legal process brought enforcement individual obligation provide child support alimony accomplished certified registered mail personal service upon person designated accept service government entity process must accomplished sufficient data permit prompt identification individual moneys involved provisions permit inexpensive expedited service enable agency respond efficient way example explanatory material accompanying amendment stated emphasized fact section applicable particular moneys necessarily mean moneys subject legal process merely means question whether moneys subject legal process determined accordance state law like manner private person see code alaska stat ann see rev stat ann ark stat ann cal civ proc code ann west supp idaho code rev ch ind code iowa code md cts jud proc code ann mass laws ch west comp laws stat miss code ann mo rev stat rev stat ann stat ann west supp civ prac law mckinney cent code supp ohio rev code ann supp okla tit rev stat codified laws code ann stat tit rev code code stat wyo stat senator montoya said modification proposed committee provides money due individual citizen including service men women may garnished result legal process payment alimony child support really means civil servants military personnel forced accept full responsibility care families especially dependent children way americans tragic men women willingly desert children leaving wives families struggle alone go already overburdened welfare rolls however member judiciary legal profession tell truth always try avoid responsibility must forced pay debts president child support proposal contained committee substitute give us opportunity prove women children justice exists proposal new believe time us make sure small change made law order correct patently disgraceful situation must give wives children federal employees retirees legal protections provided american women children cong rec see schweiker gray panthers batterton francis see cong rec regulations provide governmental entity shall comply legal process except process complied face conform laws jurisdiction issued legal process require withholding funds deemed moneys due payable remuneration employment legal process brought enforce legal obligation alimony child support comply mandatory provisions part order competent jurisdiction enjoining suspending operation legal process served governmental entity notice received obligor appealed either legal process underlying alimony child support order payment moneys subject legal process shall suspended governmental entity ordered authority resume payments however suspension action shall taken applicable law jurisdiction wherein appeal filed requires compliance legal process appeal pending legal process issued district columbia motion quash shall deemed equivalent appeal cfr see also fed reg respondent argues entitled deference promulgated office personnel management suit brought fact consequence congress authorized issuance regulations problems arising administration statute addressed litigation often brings light latent ambiguities unanswered questions might otherwise apparent thus assuming promulgation response suit demonstrates suit brought light additional administrative problem type congress thought addressed regulation opm responded problem issuing regulations task congress assigned see generally anderson clayton cert denied see supra