[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 322 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 322

   Encouraging and promoting greater involvement of fathers in their 
     children's lives and designating June 18, 2000, as ``National 
                      Responsible Father's Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 13, 2000

   Mr. Bayh (for himself, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Akaka, Mr. 
  Ashcroft, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Brownback, Mr. L. 
 Chafee, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Graham, Mr. Gramm, Mr. 
 Grams, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kerrey, Ms. Landrieu, 
Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, Mr. Stevens, 
 Mr. Thurmond, and Mr. Voinovich) submitted the following resolution; 
                   which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Encouraging and promoting greater involvement of fathers in their 
     children's lives and designating June 18, 2000, as ``National 
                      Responsible Father's Day''.

Whereas 40 percent of children who live in households without a father have not 
        seen their father in at least 1 year and 50 percent of such children 
        have never visited their father's home;
Whereas approximately 50 percent of all children born in the United States spend 
        at least \1/2\ of their childhood in a family without a father figure;
Whereas nearly 20 percent of children in grades 6 through 12 report that they 
        have not had a meaningful conversation with even 1 parent in over a 
        month;
Whereas 3 out of 4 adolescents report that ``they do not have adults in their 
        lives that model positive behaviors'';
Whereas many of the United States leading experts on family and child 
        development agree that it is in the best interest of both children and 
        the United States to encourage more two-parent, father-involved families 
        to form and endure;
Whereas it is important to promote responsible fatherhood and encourage loving 
        and healthy relationships between parents and their children in order to 
        increase the chance that children will have two caring parents to help 
        them grow up healthy and secure and not to--
            (1) denigrate the standing or parenting efforts of single mothers, 
        whose efforts are heroic;
            (2) lessen the protection of children from abusive parents;
            (3) cause women to remain in or enter into abusive relationships; or
            (4) compromise the health or safety of a custodial parent;
Whereas children who are apart from their biological father are, in comparison 
        to other children--
            (1) 5 times more likely to live in poverty; and
            (2) more likely to--
                    (A) bring weapons and drugs into the classroom;
                    (B) commit crime;
                    (C) drop out of school;
                    (D) be abused;
                    (E) commit suicide;
                    (F) abuse alcohol or drugs; and
                    (G) become pregnant as teenagers;
Whereas the Federal Government spends billions of dollars to address these 
        social ills and very little to address the causes of such social ills;
Whereas violent criminals are overwhelmingly males who grew up without fathers;
Whereas the number of children living with only a mother increased from just 
        over 5,000,000 in 1960, to 17,000,000 in 1999, and between 1981 and 1991 
        the percentage of children living with only 1 parent increased from 19 
        percent to 25 percent;
Whereas between 20 percent and 30 percent of families in poverty are headed by 
        women who have suffered domestic violence during the past year and 
        between 40 percent and 60 percent of women with children who receive 
        welfare were abused at some time in their life;
Whereas millions of single mothers in the United States are heroically 
        struggling to raise their children in safe, loving environments;
Whereas responsible fatherhood should always recognize and promote values of 
        nonviolence;
Whereas child support is an important means by which a parent can take financial 
        responsibility for a child and emotional support is an important means 
        by which a parent can take social responsibility for a child;
Whereas children learn by example, community programs that help mold young men 
        into positive role models for their children need to be encouraged;
Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood is not meant to diminish the parenting 
        efforts of single mothers but rather to increase the likelihood that 
        children will have 2 caring parents to help them grow up in loving 
        environments; and
Whereas Congress has begun to take notice of this issue with legislation 
        introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to 
        address the epidemic of fatherlessness: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the need to encourage active involvement of 
        fathers in the rearing and development of their children;
            (2) recognizes that while there are millions of fathers who 
        serve as a wonderful caring parent for their children, there 
        are children on Father's Day who will have no one to celebrate 
        with;
            (3) urges fathers to participate in their children's lives 
        both financially and emotionally;
            (4) encourages fathers to devote time, energy, and 
        resources to their children;
            (5) urges fathers to understand the level of responsibility 
        required when fathering a child and to fulfill that 
        responsibility;
            (6) is committed to assist absent fathers become more 
        responsible and engaged in their children's lives;
            (7) designates June 18, 2000, as ``National Responsible 
        Father's Day'';
            (8) calls upon fathers around the country to use the day to 
        reconnect and rededicate themselves to their children's lives, 
        to spend ``National Responsible Father's Day'' with their 
        children, and to express their love and support for their 
        children; and
            (9) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling upon the people of the United States to observe 
        ``National Responsible Father's Day'' with appropriate 
        ceremonies and activities.
                                 <all>