[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 66 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 66

 Supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater involvement 
 of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 2003

   Mr. Sullivan (for himself and Mr. Turner of Texas) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                           and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater involvement 
 of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day.

Whereas 40 percent of children who live in fatherless households in the United 
        States have not seen their fathers in at least 1 year, and 50 percent of 
        such children have never visited their fathers' homes;
Whereas approximately 50 percent of all children born in the United States spend 
        at least half of their childhood in families without father figures;
Whereas 3 out of 4 adolescents in the United States report that they do not have 
        adults in their lives that serve as positive role models;
Whereas children who are apart from their biological fathers are, in comparison 
        to other children, 5 times more likely to live in poverty, and more 
        likely to bring weapons and drugs into the classroom, commit other 
        crimes, drop out of school, commit suicide, abuse alcohol or drugs, or 
        become pregnant as teenagers;
Whereas the Federal Government spends billions of dollars to address these 
        social ills and very little to promote responsible fatherhood;
Whereas children with fathers at home tend to do better in school, to be less 
        prone to depression, and to have more successful relationships;
Whereas boys and girls alike demonstrate greater self-control and ability to 
        take initiative when fathers are actively involved in their upbringing;
Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood can help increase the chances that 
        children will grow up with two caring parents;
Whereas the promotion of responsible fatherhood should not denigrate the 
        standing or parenting efforts of single mothers, whose efforts are 
        heroic, lessen the protection of children from abusive parents, cause 
        women to remain in, or enter into, abusive relationships, or compromise 
        the health or safety of a custodial parent;
Whereas a broad array of the Nation's leading family and child development 
        experts agree that it is in the best interests of children and the 
        Nation as a whole to encourage more two-parent families where the father 
        is actively involved with his children;
Whereas in a study of fathers' interaction with their children in intact two-
        parent families, nearly 90 percent of the fathers surveyed said that 
        being a father is the most fulfilling role a man can have;
Whereas according to a 1996 Gallup poll, 90.3 percent of Americans agree that 
        fathers make a unique contribution to their children's lives;
Whereas married fathers are more likely to have a close, enduring relationship 
        with their children than unmarried fathers; and
Whereas Father's Day is the third Sunday in June: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges men to understand the level of responsibility 
        fathering a child requires, especially in the encouragement of 
        the moral, academic, and spiritual development of children;
            (2) encourages active involvement of fathers in the rearing 
        and development of their children, including the devotion of 
        time, energy, and resources to his children, recognizing that 
        children need not only material support, but even more 
        importantly, a secure and nurturing family environment;
            (3) urges mothers to encourage fathers to play an active 
        role in child-rearing;
            (4) commends the millions of fathers who serve as 
        wonderful, caring parents for their children;
            (5) calls on fathers across the Nation to use Father's Day 
        to reconnect and rededicate themselves to their children's 
        lives, to spend Father's Day with their children, and to 
        express their love and support for their children; and
            (6) urges institutions and government entities at every 
        level to promote public policies that encourage and support, 
        and remove barriers to, responsible fatherhood.
                                 <all>