Sutich v. Callahan

Following the dismissal of Sutich, the ACLU's Alan Schlosser said "Congress corrected unjust legislation which would have threatened the lives of full-fledged members of our society . . . ." Earlier, when the case was still pending, he had agreed with the use of the term "death notices" to characterize letters announcing the removal of SSI benefits: "This is not hyperbole," he said. "People who receive the notices cannot reasonably foresee any future for themselves except homelessness and starvation. At least two people--and probably more--have already reacted to their `death notices' by committing suicide." Schlosser's observations relied heavily on emotional appeal, whereas that part of the plaintiffs' brief that noted the counterproductive results of Section 402 relied heavily on logic. Viewed from either perspective, Section 402 was an ill-advised venture. The impact of other aspects of the Welfare Reform Act was less dramatic, however, the fate of Section 402 illustrated the unwillingness of the American people to compromise social responsibility for fiscal prudence.