[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10193-H10196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 302) recognizing the importance
of children and families in the United States and expressing support
for the goals of National KidsDay and National Family Month.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 302
Whereas there is an epidemic of children in crisis in the
United States caused by the increased stresses on children
from contemporary society, which can even include instances
of child abuse and neglect;
Whereas newspaper headlines, news reports, and various
studies provide evidence that children are more frequently
committing acts of violence, taking illegal drugs, and
committing suicide, indicating that the future of the
children of the United States, and therefore the future of
the Nation, is at risk;
Whereas all families in the United States, regardless of
their economic status, ethnic or cultural heritage, or
geographic location, are experiencing the pressures caused by
contemporary society while trying to raise and nurture their
children;
Whereas it is imperative that the people of the United
States act boldly to secure the future of the Nation by
halting and healing the pain of children in crisis;
Whereas KidsPeace is the oldest, most successful, and most
comprehensive not-for-profit organization dedicated solely to
helping children attain the confidence and develop the
courage necessary to confront and overcome crises;
Whereas KidsPeace has more than 1,500 caregivers helping
more than 2,000 children each day in 25 locations across the
United States;
Whereas KidsPeace established National KidsDay and National
Family Month to recognize and focus attention on
relationships between parents and children;
Whereas National KidsDay is celebrated on the third
Saturday of September, during the period when children are
returning to school, when children are subject to a very high
level of stress, and when there is a critical need for
children to feel honored, valued, supported, and loved;
Whereas National Family Month is celebrated during the
five-week period between Mother's Day in May and Father's Day
in June, which is a critical adjustment period for families
to prepare for children to return to the home at the end of
the school year and can provide a wonderful opportunity for
families to prepare to use their time together during the
summer to grow and strengthen as a family unit; and
Whereas these celebrations can provide opportunities for
parents, grandparents, and caregivers to recognize the
importance of being involved in the physical and emotional
lives of their children: Now, therefore be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) recognizes the importance of children and families to
the future of the United States;
(2) expresses support for the goals of National KidsDay and
National Family Month, as established by KidsPeace; and
(3) encourages the people of the United States to
participate in local and national activities and celebrations
recognizing National KidsDay and National Family Month.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland Mrs. Morella).
General Leave
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H. Con. Res. 302.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 302, which recognizes
the importance of children and families in the United States, and I
express my support for Kidsday and National Family Month. I
particularly want to commend the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) and the chairman and ranking member for
bringing this bill to the floor.
Kidsday and National Family Month were established by KidsPeace, a
special organization dedicated to helping children in crisis. KidsPeace
believes that every child is unique, and that children are helped the
most by their mothers and fathers, the people who are closest to them.
We all have a responsibility to protect and support America's
children. Mr. Speaker, 1 out of every 4 Americans is a child. Children
are our hope for the future, our chance for renewal. They carry on our
values and our ideals.
Childhood should be a time of learning and of play, and a time to be
sheltered from the wickedness of the outside world. However, children
and youth today are coping with increasingly serious problems that are
robbing them of their innocence, security and physical safety. Violence
in the schools
[[Page H10194]]
as well as on the streets, the availability of drugs, greater numbers
of working parents, and soaring divorce rates are taking a toll on kids
far sooner than in past generations.
Today, many children spend long hours after school and on weekends
unsupervised. They need and often admit wanting some guidance in facing
the many challenges of their lives.
One in 5 children entering school this year is living in poverty.
Half a million of those children were born to teenage mothers. Analysis
of U.S. census data indicates that if the single parent family trend
continues, half of all children born in the United States last year
will live with a single parent by the time they are 18 years old.
As Americans, we enjoy the highest standard of living in the world.
Our economy is one of the most dynamic and diverse in history. We have
achieved a level of technological advancement and individual
opportunity that is unequaled around the globe. Without a doubt,
America is on top of the world.
But the future of America's greatness depends upon how we care for
and support our children in the present. Setting aside a time to focus
on children and families is important to America's future. National
Kidsday is celebrated on the third Saturday of September, and National
Family Month is celebrated during the 5-week period between Mother's
and Father's day. I encourage all Americans to participate in local
activities during the celebration of these 2 commemoratives, and I
encourage my colleagues to support wholeheartedly this important
resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Civil Service I
would like to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) for
the development of this bipartisan resolution.
House concurrent resolution 302 will help to address challenges
children a generation ago did not have to face: Drugs, violence,
separation from parents, failing schools, peer group demands, and much,
much more.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) for a further explanation of this
bipartisan resolution.
Mr. McHALE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in strong support of H.
Con. Res. 302, and I begin by thanking the gentlewoman from Maryland
(Mrs. Morella), my former chair of the Committee on Science on which I
had the privilege to serve, and most especially the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for both the opportunity to speak this evening
and their willingness to bring this legislation to the floor.
I will be leaving in just a few days to return to what matters most
to me: my wife and my children. It is with great pride that I have
served in this body and with some sadness that I near my final days as
a Member of Congress. About a year ago, Mr. Speaker, my 7-year-old
approached me as I was leaving for Washington on a Monday morning, and
with recognition, not really complaint, he said, ``Dad, you have been
gone my whole life,'' and at that point I realized that at least for
this Member of Congress, it was time to go home.
Today's society, as noted by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs.
Morella) places increasing demands on children and families and has
unfortunately left many children in crisis and feeling that they have
nowhere to turn for help. News of children becoming involved in
violence, crime, drugs and so on indicates that we as a Nation must pay
greater attention to the needs of children and families.
For this reason, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution
which recognizes the importance of children and families in the United
States. I introduced this resolution with the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Wolf), the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the gentlewoman
from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford), and
numerous other Members who have been such strong advocates for
children. I would also like to extend my special thanks to the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) who is on the floor as I
speak, as well as the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), chairman of
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, and the ranking
member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) who helped to bring
this resolution to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 302 which has 44 bipartisan cosponsors,
also expresses support for the goals of National Kids Day and National
Family Month. These events were launched by KidsPeace, the National
Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, the largest, most comprehensive
private nonprofit organization in the Nation dedicated to serving the
critical needs of children and teens.
Headquartered in my district, KidsPeace has become a model of
community involvement and improvement. KidsPeace programs include
residential treatment centers, the National Hospital for kids in
Crisis, foster care in 6 States, community and diagnostic programs, a
24-hour help line, and an accredited school system for grades 1 through
12, and a referral network of thousands of health care providers across
the country.
For more than 115 years, KidsPeace has been helping kids develop the
confidence and skills to overcome developmental and situational crises
in their lives. KidsPeace serves more than 2,000 children every day
with 32 programs in 25 locations across the United States.
Mr. Speaker, let me deviate from my prepared text for just a moment.
KidsPeace's ability to serve our Nation and my community in particular
has not always been a resource available to us. I had the privilege of
serving in our State legislature before I came to the Congress, and I
remember very clearly about a decade ago when I received a phone call
from a family absolutely desperate because they had a teenager in
crisis. That child had nowhere to turn. There was no medical facility
in our region of the State able to provide the care that that child and
that that family needed at that very desperate time. KidsPeace
addresses that need today with professional medical care under
circumstances where it did not previously exist.
KidsPeace has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to assisting
children and families across the country. National Kids Day and
National Family Month were developed by KidsPeace as events to focus on
parent-child and family relationships and provide positive
encouragement for children to face successfully life's challenges. As a
parent who has participated in National Kids Day activities in my
district, I strongly support the establishment of these events as
recognition of the importance of children and families.
Margaret Mead once said, ``We must have a place where children can
have a whole group of adults they can trust.''
{time} 2350
These words very poignantly describe the work of KidsPeace in helping
children overcome the challenges and crises in their lives. Helping
children feel safe, trusted, loved, and empowered is the heart of the
KidsPeace mission.
It is my hope that this resolution will call attention to the needs
of children and families in the United States and throughout National
KidsDay and National Family Month and thereby help families affirm
their love and support for their children. I urge my colleagues to vote
for this bipartisan resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to conclude simply by saying that this Member
of Congress realized that I could continue serving in this body or I
could be a decent husband and father. And under the unique
circumstances of my family, I realized that I could not do both. I made
the decision to return home with enormous feelings of gratitude and
respect for this institution.
This is probably the last time I will speak at a microphone in the
House of Representatives, and I could not find a better topic than to
address the needs, the love, the support that we as a Nation and we as
an individual need to bring to the families of our country. I am
pleased to close my career in this House on that note.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I wish the 7-year-old child of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) could have heard him this evening. And,
indeed, I hope
[[Page H10195]]
the gentleman will save the Congressional Record that will have
ensconced the speech that he just gave, because it was from the bottom
of his heart.
Mr. Speaker, I would use this opportunity to express my warm feelings
and respect for the gentleman from Pennsylvania and for the dedication
that he has given to this body, knowing him from his service on the
Committee on Science with me and as an individual and as a colleague,
and knowing the courage that he has shown and the commitment that he
made to our country.
So, we wish the gentleman well and thank him very much for what he
has done. I think this is a nice commemoration to Paul McHale.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Jones).
Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs.
Morella) for yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to commend the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale), my good friend and colleague, for
introducing this resolution. Our cshildren are our future. They are
tomorrow's leaders. My colleagues who are parents like myself know that
when a child is upset or frustrated or feeling low, it is painful.
There are outside pressures that can affect our children's everyday
life: academic stresses, struggles to feel accepted, and teen violence
just to name a few. These are the issues that put our children at a
crossroads and these are the issues that KidsPeace helps our children
and Nation's families solve.
KidsPeace is a nonprofit organization that offers educational
awareness programs and tools dedicated to help our families anticipate,
intervene in, and overcome the crises that affect America's children.
For our Nation's most rural communities, like those in eastern North
Carolina which I have the privilege to serve, these are valuable
programs that can provide our children with relief from the problems
they face growing up.
Too many of our rural schools have limited resources which make it
difficult to maintain the number of school counselors that are needed
to help our children build the confidence to overcome their problems.
Because of this, as KidsPeace continues to grow, it is vital that it
continues to reach out to America's rural communities and communities
throughout the Nation.
Even with a strong faith in God and the support of family and
friends, our children sometimes need extra encouragement. This is what
KidsPeace is working to do, to build confidence in our Nation's
children through sharing and learning.
The organization has established a KidsDay in September for
communities and families to honor our children during the stressful
time of returning to school. KidsPeace also dedicates time each summer
to National Family Month, a time for parents and children to build and
strengthen the family bond.
Mr. Speaker, our children are our future, and that reminds me
somewhere along the way I have heard that if one wants to touch the
past, they touch a rock. If they want to touch the present, they touch
a flower. If they want to touch the future, they touch a child.
So, in closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to my colleague who
is leaving us, Paul, you have made a tremendous impact on America
because of the type of man that you are. A man of character, a man of
integrity. You will long be remembered and appreciated for your
contribution to this Nation.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Jones) for his splendid commentary on the importance of
recognizing families and children and programs in the system.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox).
Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to express my
support for H. Con. Res. 302, which is a piece of legislation which
deals with the importance of children and families in the United States
and expresses our support for the goals of the National KidsDay and
National Family Month.
This legislation was sponsored by, of course, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) our good friend. The gentleman is a great
U.S. Congressman who is retiring from this body, and I join with the
others tonight in saluting him as a great patriot.
Mr. Speaker, I knew the gentleman when I served together with him in
the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. He left that service
to go on active duty for the Desert Storm conflict, where he served as
an outstanding Marine officer. He has been serving with that particular
military organization for at least two decades.
Paul McHale has always been a principled leader, an advocate for
children and families in Pennsylvania as well as in this U.S. Congress,
and a member and strong leader of the Children's Legislative Caucus,
and a pioneer in public-private partnerships such as KidsDay and other
legislation dealing with children, for which this legislation is
enunciated.
But the gentleman has always been a bipartisan statesman, a role
model who has shown that courage and honesty count. I hope that we will
soon see, years after his children grow up, and as they do I hope they
will allow us to have the gentleman return to public service where he
could become Secretary of Defense or to another elected official
position.
Certainly, we need him in this country. His family may need him, but
the country needs him as well. We certainly acknowledge his service
today as being exemplary. We are proud to know him as our colleague and
proud to have him as our friend. We know that his family is proud of
what he has done as well.
God bless him. Godspeed.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend KidsPeace for its work over the past
century helping children overcome all sorts of crises. National KidsDay
and National Family Month, both established by KidsPeace, compel all
Americans to focus on parent, child, and family relationships. These
celebrations encourage parents and grandparents and caregivers to be
involved in the lives of their children.
I believe we should all spend time every day nurturing and
encouraging the children that we encounter in our lives. This Member of
Congress can certainly appreciate the work of KidsPeace. Every child,
which is not always the case, has four fundamental needs that must be
fulfilled to lead a peaceful and healthy life: Safety to feel safe and
protected; trust to be confident, hopeful and assured; love to be
valued and unconditionally accepted; and power to be a child and pursue
a purpose, skill, or challenge.
This resolution recognizes KidsPeace, an organization that works hard
to meet those needs. Through its good work, KidsPeace helps restore the
health and happiness of children who are suffering through crises and
traumas.
The demand for organizations such as KidsPeace is apparent. From 1991
to 1992, the organization saw a 150 percent increase in the number of
kids coming to it for help. That is when KidsPeace stepped forward on a
national level with public initiatives to help prevent and overcome
crises that can strike any child.
This extra push to alert Americans to the needs of our children could
not come at a better time. Between 1990 and 1996, the number of
children rose by more than 5 million to 69.4 million. The United States
Census Bureau projects that the number of children will continue to
rise over the next several decades reaching 77.6 million by the year
2000.
This resolution is worthy of our support and I urge the Members of
this body to do so.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 0000
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I think it is appropriate for Congress to recognize the importance of
children and families. My husband and I have been very fortunate to
have been able to raise nine children, six who were the children of my
late sister, and we now have 15 grandchildren. And so I can value and
appreciate children and the need for families. KidsPeace really
performs that kind of function.
It is an honor to be managing this particular resolution, which I
think is
[[Page H10196]]
so very important. The institution of the family is, indeed, the
bedrock of our society and of civilization, and without strong
families, the outlook for children is bleak.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
just one brief statement.
On the stationery for KidsPeace there is a quote by George McDonald,
and I think that it pretty much summarizes the life of our colleague,
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale), and the things that he
talked about just a moment ago, and certainly I salute him. But the
quote is very simple. It says: ``A man must learn to love his children
not because they are his but because they are simply children.''
Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res.
302, recognizing the importance of children and families in the United
States and expressing support for the goals of National KidsDay and
National Family Month. I want to thank Reps. Paul McHale, Frank Wolf,
Harold Ford, Nancy Johnson and Deborah Pryce, who joined me in
introducing this resolution last July, as well as Rep. Walter Jones and
the many other Members who helped bring it to the floor today.
We live in an increasingly stressful society these days. Perhaps no
one feels this stress more acutely than our nation's children. The
pressures of crime, drugs, violence and broken homes are robbing many
children of the joys of childhood. There is a growing concern that too
many kids are in crisis, and that no one is speaking out for them or
trying to help.
That is what this resolution is all about. It is a simple,
straightforward, bipartisan appeal on behalf of the children in our
nation to pay more attention to their needs, to provide them with a
healthy and safe environment, and to give them hope for a secure and
prosperous future. The resolution also expresses support for two
particular initiatives which are being undertaken on behalf of kids:
National KidsDay and National Family Month. Both of these initiatives
have been created by KidsPeace, our nation's oldest and largest not-
for-profit organization dedicated solely to serving the needs of kids
in crisis.
National KidsDay, observed on the third Saturday in September,
encourages parents, grandparents and caregivers to spend a day with
their children just having fun, and giving them a break from the
strains of everyday life. National Family Month is celebrated during
the five-week period between Mother's Day and Father's Day. Each week
focuses on a specific value that families should provide to their
children, including; a safe and secure home; people they can trust;
love and value; the power and freedom to grow; and hope for the future.
Mr. Speaker, children are our most precious gift. We cannot afford to
let even one child slip through the cracks. KidsPeace and other
organizations are doing a wonderful job of reaching out to those
children who are most at risk in society, and helping them develop the
courage and skills necessary to overcome crisis. But no matter how hard
they try, these organizations cannot take the place of loving parents,
stable homes, and a healthy environment in which kids can feel safe,
loved and positive about their lives and their futures.
This resolution is small in scope but it is large in symbolism. It
sends a message to children that we care about them, we understand
their problems, we share their dreams, and we want them to enjoy life
to the fullest. As Robert Kennedy said: ``When one of us prospers, all
of us prosper. When one of us fails, so do we all.'' I urge my
colleagues to support this resolution and five all our children a
chance to prosper.
Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support our veterans by
calling for the passage of the S.1021, the Veterans Employment
Opportunity Act of 1998. Last year, the House did the right thing by
passing H.R. 240 introduced by Representative Mica. This legislation is
the Senate's long awaited companion bill and, while I wish it had gone
further in its protection of veterans from Reductions In Force,
nonetheless it also deserves our passage today.
For too long many of our nation's veterans have been neglected by our
own government when it comes to obtaining federal employment. Our
nation's veterans, who served so selflessly and risked their lives,
face unnecessary restrictions that preclude them from federal
employment. All they simply desire is the opportunity to continue
serving their nation.
As the result of this legislation, veterans can apply for federal
jobs on a more competitive basis at a time when their employment within
the federal workforce is declining and approaching an historically low
level.
This is a bipartisan bill and one that reflects the interests of the
people who have served our country so courageously. I am proud that
this legislation has the support of the American Legion. I commend Mr.
Mica for his work and urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time, and urge my colleagues to support
this resolution.
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time and urge all Members to support this
resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Blunt). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House
Concurrent Resolution 302.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________