[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H3487-H3492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SUPPORTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce be discharged from further consideration 
of the resolution (H. Res. 442) supporting responsible fatherhood and 
encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their 
children, especially on Father's Day, and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sununu). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, 
and I do not intend to object, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska 
to explain the resolution.
  Mr. OSBORNE. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as we approach the upcoming celebration of Father's Day 
this Sunday, June 16, I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak on 
behalf of this resolution before us on the importance of fatherhood in 
this country. H.R. 442, introduced by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. 
Sullivan), urges all Americans to support responsible fatherhood and to 
encourage greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their 
children, especially on Father's Day.
  Over 36 years in my last profession, I worked with a great many young 
men who were fatherless. I saw directly the results of that 
fatherlessness, because if your dad does not care enough to stick 
around sometimes, even to see what you look like, there is a void in 
your life and sometimes you try to fill that void with all the wrong 
things. The number of children living in households without fathers has 
tripled over the last 40 years from just over 5 million in 1960 to 
almost 18 million today, which represents an increase of 350 percent. 
According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, 24 million children 
live without their biological fathers at the present time. Nearly one-
half of our children will live at least part of their childhood without 
a father.
  The problems associated with fatherlessness are far-reaching. The 
National Fatherhood Initiative cites numerous studies as it relates the 
following: a child living in a fatherless home is five times more 
likely to live in poverty than one who lives in a home with a father.

                              {time}  2015

  There is a much higher incidence of teenage pregnancy, suicide rates 
are much higher, they are two to three times more likely to commit a 
crime, much more likely to drop out of school, much more likely to get 
involved with drugs and alcohol, and I think, most importantly, and 
something that a lot of people miss, a fatherless daughter suffers just 
as much or more than a fatherless young man. It would appear that 
daughters are much more likely to be abused or assaulted if they do not 
have a father. A father acts as a protector for his daughter.
  We need fathers to be active in their children's lives to instill 
values and act as role models. Fathers have a unique role to play in 
their children's lives to provide affirmation, affection and advice.
  We have had a lot of conversation over the last several months about 
heroes. We hear the term quite often. I would like to point out another 
aspect, which I think has to do with persons being a hero.
  Sometimes it is a person that gets up every morning and goes to work. 
It is a person who honors their marriage vows. It is a person who 
honors his commitment to his children. So, sometimes heroism is not 
something that is done in a moment of great danger, but it is something 
that is acted out on the stage of life over a long period of time.
  We also would like to mention an anecdote here, which I think is 
accurate. This was kind of interesting. There was a chaplain who worked 
in a prison for men, and on Mother's Day the chaplain was asked by one 
of the inmates to get a card for Mother's Day. A greeting card company 
offered to provide several boxes of cards. So the word got around and 
nearly all of the inmates picked up a card and sent it to their mother 
on Mother's Day.
  So they thought they would repeat the process on Father's Day. 
Father's Day came, they had a box of cards, and, strangely enough, 
according to this story, not one single inmate picked up a card to send 
to his father. The point was that probably in almost every case the 
father was absent, the father had abrogated his responsibility.
  So I think on this particular occasion, when we look at our Nation, 
when we look at our Nation's future, if I could really ask for one 
thing, if I had one wish that could be granted, it would be that our 
fathers would fulfill their responsibility, that our fathers would be 
honored truly on Father's Day, because almost all of the social ills 
that we are looking at in our country today and all of the difficult 
things our young people are looking at really go back to the fact that 
our families are not intact, and particularly our fathers are not doing 
their job.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of 
objection, let me say that, as you know, I introduced in the first 
session of this Congress H.R. 1300, the Responsible Fatherhood Act of 
2001. It was legislation that sought to prescribe parameters for block 
grants to States and territories to implement at their option media 
campaigns promoting responsible fatherhood. It would have required the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with a nonprofit 
fatherhood promotion organization to develop and distribute media 
campaign literature that addressed the issue of responsible fatherhood 
to States, local governments, public agencies and private entities.
  Although I have only been a Member of Congress going into my sixth 
year, annually I have sponsored a workshop for the Congressional Black 
Caucus weekend dealing with fatherhood and responsible fatherhood and 
responsible partnerships. My legislation would have developed a 
national clearinghouse to assist States in community efforts to promote 
and support responsible fatherhood by disseminating information under 
this media campaign.
  I introduced also in the first session of the 107th Congress House 
Resolution 167, a resolution in support of fatherhood and in 
celebration of Father's Day.
  This evening I am here, Mr. Speaker, to support H. Res. 442, which 
was authored by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan), on which my 
staff and his staff worked together to try to figure out how we could 
best solidify the two measures for the benefit of advancing legislation 
dealing with fatherhood and responsible fatherhood legislation.
  I want to commend all of the responsible fathers who have worked 
laboriously to raise their children, along with their children's 
mothers, and who have provided college educations and lifetime 
opportunities for their children.
  There are certainly countless numbers of men who have been engaged in 
responsible fatherhood and who have been an integral part of the well-
being and growing up of their children, and now are involved in the 
lives of their grandchildren. I think they stand as beacons, as role 
models in terms of

[[Page H3488]]

what this country could in fact do for families if more fathers were 
responsible and accountable for their children.
  My legislation that I offered in no way intended to insult the kind 
of participation that fathers have with their children. I recognize 
that there are situations, Mr. Speaker, where the father is unable to 
be at home in the same household with their children as their children 
grow up, but under my legislation we intend to try to connect children 
with their fathers in a very responsible way so that children can enjoy 
the benefits of having their fathers involved in their lives.
  Approximately 50 percent of all children born in the United States 
spend at least half of their childhood in families without father 
figures. Three out of four adolescents in the United States report that 
they did not have adults in their lives that served as positive role 
models.
  Children who are apart from their biological fathers are, in 
comparison to other children, five times more likely to live in 
poverty, more likely to bring weapons and drugs into the classroom, to 
commit other crimes, to drop out of school, to commit suicide, to abuse 
alcohol or drugs. Girls are inclined sometimes to become pregnant as 
teenagers.
  The Federal Government spends billions of dollars to address social 
ills, and very little to promote responsible fatherhood. 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. It is 
important for the United States Congress as a body to promote 
responsible fatherhood and to encourage loving and healthy 
relationships between parents and their children in order to increase 
the chance that children will have two caring parents in their lives to 
help them grow up healthy, secure, responsible and accountable.
  That is why I believe it is imperative, Mr. Speaker, that we do all 
that we can to ensure that every human being who is growing up to 
adulthood have access to two responsible parents in their lives and to 
ensure that fathers are not inhibited or prohibited through some 
archaic system from having active involvement in the well-being of 
their children.
  Mr. Speaker, happy Father's Day again.
  Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I yield to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to add my voice to 
that of the gentleman and the gentlewoman in terms of raising the 
issue, as well as bringing to our attention the importance of 
fatherhood, especially as we approach Father's Day.
  It just happens that in my Congressional district come Saturday we 
have a full day of activity that is designed to do nothing but promote 
responsible fatherhood, beginning early in the morning and going all 
day. It is a wonderful activity. Many of the individuals we find are 
looking for ways to reconnect with families, to reestablish 
relationships with their children. They simply need a little 
facilitation and a little bit of help.
  I think this kind of discussion, this kind of initiative, and this 
kind of action will go a long ways toward that.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Illinois for his comments.
  Continuing my reservation of objection, I yield to the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan), and I thank the gentleman for his partnership 
in this effort.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for hers as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Osborne). I liked what he had to say.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer H. Res. 442, to honor fathers on 
Father's Day and commend them for enhancing the lives of their 
children.
  Fathers play a critical role in the development of our youth. In 
addition to traditionally being the head of the household, these men 
must serve as both spiritual leaders and protectors of their families. 
Millions of men throughout this country effectively execute these 
duties each day. Their children, in return, learn to be confident and 
productive citizens.
  Our active fathers rarely get the recognition they deserve. Many 
understand that they must not only raise a child physically, but must 
also meet the emotional needs of their kids. Above all, dads must 
instill a sense of morality and spirituality in the hearts of their 
children.
  Every child deserves the love and attention of their father. This is 
a simple fact. But we know that simple is not always synonymous with 
easy. In the chaotic and increasingly busy world, it is important to 
understand and, more important, to demonstrate that children are their 
fathers' number one priority. My children, Tommy, Meredith and Sidney, 
are my number one priority.
  The children of today are the promise of tomorrow. With that in mind, 
the role of our fathers must be to continue to raise a Nation of 
leaders. We must teach our children to have a sense of optimism about 
the future and what lies ahead. Their generation will be better than 
ours. It will build on our wisdom to produce a bright and prosperous 
world.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight I ask my colleagues to join me as we renew our 
commitment to being good parents. I especially call upon fathers 
throughout the country to instill those values that will change the 
lives of children.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of 
legislation.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of 
objection, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 
comments he may have in support of this effort.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma 
and the gentlewoman from Indiana for cosponsoring this resolution which 
expresses, I think, profound thoughts. We do not often express profound 
thoughts on the floor of this House.
  Sunday will be Father's Day, and I will be blessed on Sunday. On 
Sunday two of my daughters, two of my granddaughters, and one of my 
grandsons will be at my house, and we are going to have a wonderful 
time. They are coming on Saturday. They will spend the night there. We 
will have a good time Saturday night and have dinner together.
  My oldest daughter, who lives in Illinois, will not be there, but we 
will talk on Sunday. She will call and she will say, ``Dad, I love you, 
and I wish you a happy Father's Day,'' and nothing better will happen 
to me that day or any day. We lost Mom 5 years ago. Mother's Day was a 
special day at our house as well.
  This resolution, as I say, articulates profound thoughts. As I was in 
the cloakroom, I heard the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) 
speaking. Tom Osborne is a special person in this body. Few of us, 
perhaps maybe none, have had the opportunity to be a father figure, not 
necessarily a biological father, obviously, but a father figure, 
someone to whom young men looked for guidance, for discipline, for 
direction, and for a sense of responsibility.
  Tom Osborne, as all of us know, is one of the great football coaches 
in the history of America. So it was appropriate that he spoke and 
leads the effort on this resolution, because I know an awful lot of 
young men who perhaps did not have a dad at home, or did not have a dad 
that cared as much about them as we would have hoped he would have, 
looked to Tom Osborne for the growing of character that a father ought 
to give a son or a daughter.

                              {time}  2030

  So I congratulate the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) for the 
literally scores, hundreds, of young men, whose lives you have made a 
difference in.
  Mr. Speaker, on page 2 of this resolution it says something very 
important: ``Whereas, the promotion of responsible fatherhood should 
not, 1, denigrate the standing and parenting efforts of single mothers 
whose efforts are heroic.''
  That is so true. I know the gentlewoman from Indiana knows that to be 
the case. Young women, middle-aged women whose partners, in producing 
the greatest blessing of life, a child, do not participate in the 
raising of that child. This resolution says that not only is that good 
for the fathers, but it is absolutely critical for the children. Study 
after study shows us that there is nothing better for a child in the 
world than a stable family, than two

[[Page H3489]]

parents caring for that child and giving that child direction.
  It goes on to say that ``this does not in any way lessen the 
protection of children from abusive parents.'' What a tragedy, that God 
gives to some a child, and they abuse that child and abuse that gift. 
``Or cause women to remain in or enter into abusive relationships.'' 
Some of us know about that, and it is appropriate that we say that, 
that certainly a two-parent family that creates an abusive relationship 
is not a relationship in which children ought to be raised. It is a 
serious problem confronting our society; and as we consider this 
resolution, we look to the ``responsible'' in the reference to 
``fatherhood,'' responsible towards the child and responsible towards 
the mom.
  Lastly, it says that ``we do not want to compromise the health and 
safety of a custodial parent.''
  I rise in support of this resolution because of its importance. We 
can appropriate all the money we want; we can have all the programs we 
want; we can have Head Start, we can have Chapter 1; we can have the 
CHIP program for child health; we can do all of those things, and 
nothing, nothing, nothing will be important, as important as two 
parents caring for that child they brought into this world.
  I doubt, and I hope there is not a parent in this body or in this 
country that can hear the ballad that is so poignant, so compelling, 
the ``Cats in the Cradle.'' Those of my colleagues who remember the 
``Cats in the Cradle'' song about the young man, the young man who 
asked dad to go out and play ball, the young man who asked dad to read 
the book, the young man who asked dad to spend a little bit of time 
with him. Dad is too busy. Dad is probably like some of us. He thinks 
things are too important, and he will be with his son a little later. 
And of course as that song continues, as my colleagues will recall, the 
dad gets older, the son gets older, and the dad says to the son, son, 
let us spend some time together. Of course by that time the son, like 
his dad when he was his age, has become preoccupied.
  For those of us who have lived for some period of time who were very 
active when our children were young, who thought our lives were very 
important then, we perhaps look back and lament that we did not spend 
the time with our children that we should have. It is important not 
only that all of us urge fathers to be responsible, urge them to be 
engaged, but as well to urge ourselves to be the best possible parents 
we can, for nothing, nothing can be more positive for this country than 
that.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here tonight in support of House Resolution 442 
which calls upon fathers around the country to use this Father's Day to 
reconnect and rededicate themselves to their childrens' lives.
  This coming Sunday, June 16th, 2002, millions of Americans will 
celebrate Father's Day.
  As a nation we set aside this day to recognize the tremendous impact 
that fathers have on the lives of children, as well as the stability of 
families.
  As the father of three lovely and intelligent women, I know first 
hand the remarkable challenge, work and dedication it requires to be a 
good father.
  It is through fatherhood that I live my most valued, joyful and 
reward moments.
  On Father's Day, I would like to commend those who have fulfilled 
their responsibility as a father by providing materially for their 
families, as well as playing vital roles in the lives of their 
children, such as nurturer, moral instructor and mentor.
  However, it is important for our society to take note that many 
children will face a void on Father's Day because they have no one with 
which to celebrate the occasion.
  Today, an estimated 17 million children are living in households 
without a father. This makes the United States the world leader in 
fatherless families.
  Children, on average, achieve more when they have involved, 
responsible, and committed fathers. A study released in May 2001, by 
the U.S. Department of Education, clearly shows how a father's active 
involvement in their child's education is particularly important for 
academic achievement, as measured by receiving mostly A grades and not 
having to repeat a grade.
  In fact, research shows that children with absentee fathers are twice 
as likely to drop out of school, to commit a crime and to abuse alcohol 
and drugs. And, they have a five times greater chance of living in 
poverty and are more likely to become pregnant as a teenager.
  The social implications of this reality are staggering. Action is 
needed to stop these vicious cycles of poverty and teen pregnancy.
  I believe it is important to reinforce the values that all Americans 
share: hard work, self-discipline, and personal and family 
responsibility.
  I support meaningful legislation that will help make both parents 
responsible for taking care of their children, such as improvements to 
the interstate enforcement of child support, as well as media awareness 
campaigns to promote responsible fatherhood skills.
  It is important for society to send a clear and strong message to 
parents--especially teenage parents--that they must be responsible for 
their children--and I will continue to support and promote such 
initiatives.
  It is my great pleasure to stand here tonight with my colleagues to 
reinforce the importance of responsible parenting and to commend 
fathers who have had a positive and lasting influence on the lives of 
their children.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, continuing under my reservation 
of objection, let me thank the gentleman very much for those very vital 
points that the gentleman inserted into this dialogue. It forces us to 
rethink our position in terms of the configuration of the family when 
we reflect on 9/11, as responsible fathers went to work to ensure that 
their families had economic well-being, only to be interrupted in terms 
of their life and being unable to go back.
  So when we talk about fatherhood and partnerships and responsible 
fatherhood, we do consider that there are circumstances beyond the 
control of the biological father which would propel us into action to 
ensure that children do, in fact, have a connection with a responsible 
fatherhood figure, if you will, in their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, under my reservation of objection, I yield to the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watkins).
  Mr. WATKINS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding me this time, and I appreciate her allotting me the time to 
say a few words on this, I think, very important issue. I want to say a 
special thanks to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan) and also 
to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), who has been a tremendous 
role model and friend, who understands the need to have a role model 
and, truly, the gentleman from Nebraska has been a role model for many 
young men.
  I, like many others, have lived trying to make sure, trying to be the 
kind of father that my children would like. I was raised in a broken 
home, and there were lots of nights I went to bed thinking about, 
hoping and praying that God would let me be a father one of these days 
and maybe I could be a father to my children and also my grandchildren, 
because I do know the meaning. My mother raised me outside of a small 
farming community of less than 200 population, and I always look back 
and think how my mom, as a single parent, how she did it. We all 
worked. We all worked three part-time jobs and we were able to make it. 
But that small town was like a father, so to speak. It just consumes 
itself in trying to make sure that we as young people followed certain 
standards and values, et cetera; and I am just thankful to have been 
raised in that small community.
  But I would like for my colleagues to know that I lay awake at night 
and I wonder how in the world do we save the inner city kids? How do we 
save those kids who many of them do not know who their father is? 
Sometimes they do not know either parent, and they find there is no 
role model. I know the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and I have 
talked about role models. I think each and every one of us in life is a 
role model in one way or the other, one way or the other. I think it 
behooves us to try to get that message across, that we are responsible 
to try to help raise the children in some way so that they can be 
responsible and so that they can enter their fatherhood somewhere along 
the way.
  As the gentleman from Maryland was talking about, statistics prove it 
out. I know I have been on the selection team of the top 10 students at 
Oklahoma State University for about 15 years; and over that period of 
time, it has been amazing to me to see the outstanding students, and 
most of them had both parents. Let me say this to any young person who 
may come from a broken home, a divorced home, you can use it as an 
excuse, or you can use it as a building stone, a stepping stone. 
Because it is easy for us to say, well,

[[Page H3490]]

because I did not have a parent is the reason why I did not do this or 
maybe I turned out bad.
  I am so thankful that the good Lord blessed me along the way. I stand 
in support of H. Res. 442, because I think we cannot do too much in 
trying to reach a lot of people and trying to make sure we provide for 
them that opportunity to be a father and be a role model as a father.
  So I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) and the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan) and especially my friend, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), who I am just thankful that he 
will be coming to Oklahoma to be the presenter for my entry into the 
Oklahoma Hall of Fame; and I really and sincerely mean that, because as 
I have told my friend, as the Nebraska coach, we owe him a whole lot. I 
really want him to come because I want the people of Oklahoma to know 
the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) whom I have grown to love and 
respect as a fellow human being. But to the gentleman from Nebraska, we 
thank him so much for being part of our family here. I want to thank 
the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan) and look forward to having 
him in Oklahoma. I thank the gentleman for what he has meant to the 
delegation in bringing this to our attention.
  As I go through life, and as some here know, I am going home after 
this year, and people ask me what I am going to do, and I say I am 
going home to try to be the best father I can be, to be a papa, and to 
make memories.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of 
objection, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watkins).
  I too want to add accolades to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Osborne) and certainly for the kind words from the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Watkins) and also to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  As we continue this dialogue in terms of these measures that are 
before us, I think that the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watkins) 
brought up a very valuable point, and I want to insert a very 
invaluable point, I believe. All children in the inner city are not the 
stereotypical kind that one would believe. I myself came from an urban 
area and was born to a teen-age single mother, and the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Watkins) made a good point that people can make choices 
about what it is that they want to be, and it is kind of difficult for 
us to muscle ourselves through life being branded as bastards, 
illegitimate, and coming from inner city areas. When you look back at 
some of the national episodes that occurred perpetuated by children 
that came from two-parent families, I think we have to stress the 
importance of building on the morals of an individual rather than 
classifying an individual by environment or by neighborhood or by all 
of these other systemic kinds of situations.
  Continuing to reserve my right to object, I yield to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Pence), whose oratory is almost as good as mine, but 
it is a joy to have him in the delegation. I was just with him the 
other night at a dinner. He would not want anybody to know that, but I 
have to tell that, and I do have a lot of appreciation for the good 
work that my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence), does; 
and it is a pleasure to yield to him.
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for 
those kind words and, more to the point, for her original sponsorship 
of this important resolution tonight and to its author, one of the 
newest Members of this institution, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. 
Sullivan), who has already begun to make a tremendous impression on all 
of his colleagues on issues important to the family. And to the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), my thanks to him for his 
leadership on this issue as well.
  My father was Ed Pence, who raised a family of four boys and two 
girls that were the passion of his life until he passed away in 1988 at 
the young age of 58, leaving all of us to this day heartbroken. And let 
me say that my father was tough as a father with a drill instructor 
background. He was at times completely unfair. His punishments were 
unjustifiable and without appeal, but my father was there, and that 
privilege for me is one of the greatest evidences of God's grace in my 
life. And my father's presence in my life and the lives of my brothers 
and sisters I have tried to emulate and replicate in the lives of 
Michael and Charlotte and Audrey who sit at our home at this hour 
watching this important conversation. It is one of the sublime 
privileges of my life to be their daddy and to try to live up to the 
high standards of my father. But it was a standard that was set simply 
by the idea that we really celebrate tonight in the gentleman from 
Oklahoma's resolution, and that is it is about being there for dads.
  Sometimes I wonder in my heart if in the sitcom culture that we have 
invented today we have not raised the bar too high for fathers, 
creating some standard where if dad is not there at the end of the day 
at school talking through every single problem conversation that their 
child had that somehow that father is not living up to the modern 
standard of a touchy-feely dad.

                              {time}  2045

  Today in this resolution we simply call on fathers to reconnect; to 
be promise-keepers, to live out the commitment that is not just 
biological but begins there and remains spiritual and relational 
through their lives.
  Fatherlessness, as the gentleman from Nebraska said, is an epidemic 
in America. Forty percent of children who live in fatherless households 
in the United States have not seen their fathers in a year. Fifty 
percent of such children have never visited their father's homes. 
Nearly four out of 10 children born in America today are born in homes 
where their father will never live. It breaks my heart.
  But I think that the leadership that the gentlewoman from Indiana 
(Ms. Carson) is providing on this issue tonight is even more important, 
because if fatherlessness is an epidemic in America as a whole, it 
breaks my heart to say that in the last 25 years, fatherlessness has 
become a crisis in black America; that, for whatever reasons, whether 
they are a consequence of social welfare policies or trends or 
urbanization, black America, and particularly black American young men, 
have been growing up increasingly in a generation without their fathers 
at home. Six out of 10 black Americans today will be born and raised in 
a home where their fathers are not present, and it breaks my heart.
  When we look at the statistics of what happens when dad is not 
around, children are five times more likely to end their lives in 
poverty, multiple times to become involved in crime and drugs and 
premarital sex and gang violence.
  We must today come together, Christians and Jews, people of every 
race and every creed and every background and every party in this 
country, and declare war on fatherlessness, because it is, as the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) said with great passion and 
eloquence a moment ago, it is something about which the survival of our 
Nation is tied up.
  With this I close. The Bible talks of a time of renewal in the world, 
when the hearts of the fathers would be turned back to their children. 
It seems to me that the resolution offered tonight by the gentleman 
from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan), by the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. 
Carson), and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), is all about 
doing just that, in whatever small way we can in this institution to do 
our part to turn the hearts of the fathers of America back to their 
children; to sear their consciences as this Father's Day approaches, 
and maybe even begin the process in this place of turning Father's Day 
not into a day where you get a new pair of slippers, a new subscription 
to Sports Illustrated, some new homemade chiseled gifts and nailed 
boards, but maybe it is a day when fathers do not receive but they 
decide to give.
  Those of us who have the privilege to call ourselves fathers or to be 
called daddy by somebody special in the world will recognize this 
holiday as a day when we can renew, as the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. 
Sullivan) suggests, renew and reconnect and rededicate ourselves to our 
children's lives.
  Again, I commend the gentlewoman from Indiana for her passion, her 
leadership, her testimony, and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. 
Sullivan).

[[Page H3491]]

  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Continuing to reserve my right to object, Mr. 
Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana very much for his input, 
and I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Indiana for her early and constant leadership on this 
issue, and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan) for his 
leadership on this issue.
  Two reasons, or more than two reasons, I rise to support this 
resolution: First of all, to pay tribute to America's fathers, many of 
whom are serving in the front lines of our war against terrorism, many 
of whom will not be with their children on Father's Day because of 
that.
  I also would like to acknowledge my father, my late father, Ezra C. 
Jackson, who certainly represented a major force in my life; and then 
to pay tribute to my husband, Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, who plays a major role, 
not only in his children's lives, but that of his community.
  That is why this resolution is so vital, because it emphasizes the 
importance and the very vitality of a man's love for his children. It 
indicates that that steady hand is needed, and the resolution calls for 
action. It literally asks fathers, wherever they may be, whether they 
are united with their families or they are not, it asks fathers to make 
an effort to be united with their children on Father's Day, and for the 
children to make an effort to be united with their fathers.
  It is well known that this resolution also says that 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 father's homes.
  As chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I see the poverty of 
children. When I see that, I am not only talking about the physical 
poverty, the financial poverty, but also the spiritual and social 
poverty of children; that when children do not have the steady hand of 
the dad, we can see the difference; that firm hand, that hand that 
either plays the local sports, that sits on the front row of that 
school ceremony, that visits that teacher, that waves you off to 
school.
  There is something about the bonding between father and child, girl 
or boy, and I am gratified that this House would rise today on the eve 
of Father's Day to be able to acknowledge the importance of Father's 
Day.
  I am affiliated with an effort called the U.S. Dream Academy. Senator 
Orrin Hatch and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), Senator 
Hillary Clinton, Senator Corzine, and many others have offered their 
support for this operation sponsored by Wintley Phipps. The idea of it 
is to work with children of incarcerated parents, those parents that 
are in prison.
  What they have determined is that a child whose parent is in prison, 
and in particular, in many instances, it is the male parent, that child 
is doomed to the cycle of incarceration or imprisonment. The father, 
again, not in their lives. In many instances, this effort is to boost 
the child's self-esteem, but also to find ways to ensure that if there 
can be a relationship, even with that incarcerated parent, and there 
can be a support system on the outside that bolsters that child's 
ability to achieve, it is an important program.
  This resolution applauds such efforts to create the opportunity for 
parent and child to be together, and that is for children to be with 
their parents. It promotes responsible fatherhood, so that fatherhood 
or the idea of being a father would not denigrate the standing or 
parenting efforts of single mothers whose efforts are heroic.
  We are not trying to condemn or to criticize those individuals who 
have to raise their children alone, but we are saying to the fathers, 
wherever they are, they can make a holistic family by coming to those 
children and raising themselves up as a person to be admired, 
respected, and someone who wants to nurture and love their children.
  We believe, of course, that putting fathers in the lives of children 
does not condone being abusive. We know there are circumstances where 
we must separate the children from the family; and, as well, we do not 
want to keep children or families, rather, or women in abusive 
relationships. That is not the intent of this resolution. Nor do we 
want to compromise the health or the safety of a custodial parent. Many 
times there are restraining orders.
  To put all of that aside, we are not attempting to change situations 
where there is any jeopardy, but what we are saying is that in this 
Father's Day, this third Sunday in June, we want to make sure that 
children and fathers have an opportunity to come together.
  So we urge in this resolution an understanding, we urge in this 
resolution love, we urge in this resolution bonding and friendship. I 
might simply say that we as a Nation understood the principles of 
motherhood and fatherhood; we have Mother's Day, we have Father's Day. 
We understand the toiling and the hard work.
  We made efforts to ensure that when we built towns to the West, when 
we said, go west, young man and young woman, we would put together 
towns around families. The first thing that would be built would be the 
little schoolhouse.
  We even know that the tragedy of slavery unfortunately undermined 
family systems. There was a great impact on that. We have to continue 
to mend that psychological crack, if you will. In all of that, we have 
come full circle to understand the value of fatherhood.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to join the leaders of this 
resolution. Again, I want to add my accolades to the gentlewoman from 
Indiana (Ms. Carson), because she has been preaching this unity, this 
message about fatherhood, for many, many years. I am just delighted 
that she has brought this message to the United States Congress to be 
able to not only honor our fathers, to pay tribute to them, but also to 
challenge them to find their children, wherever they might be, and 
bring them close to them, and they will find great reward in the idea 
of fatherhood, both for themselves and for their children.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Continuing to reserve my right to object, Mr. 
Speaker, certainly I would like to do a premature congratulations to 
Alex Nock, who has worked very hard with the staff, and who in October 
will become a father. So I want to be the first one to tell him 
congratulations, and certainly to Ms. Nock. We look forward to this 
explosion of the population, and for him to move into the role that he 
has so aptly described in this resolution, along with the gentleman 
from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan).
  Continuing to reserve my right to object, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy).
  Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
Indiana for yielding to me, and I thank and commend the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan) for bringing this, along with the gentlewoman 
from Indiana, to our attention and to the floor. I would recognize also 
the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) for his leadership on this 
very important issue.
  Mr. Speaker, we have many titles, many things we are called over the 
course of our lives. During school we have a lot of nicknames, and 
during my time in business I had a lot of fancy titles, and today we 
are called Congressmen or Congresswomen. But there is nothing more 
important than to be called ``dad.'' It is the most important title 
that I have.
  I have had the opportunity to invest in many things that are valuable 
to me, whether it be my home, buying a car every now and then, or other 
things. But as my father would always say, my assets sit around the 
table, and they are the most important, most valuable things that we 
have.
  We have many jobs. I have had many jobs in my life during my 20-year 
career in business, and I have an important job here serving the people 
in the Second District of Minnesota.
  But there is no more important job that I have, no more important job 
that any father has, than in being a father to their children. That is 
really what this resolution talks about, is the importance of that, and 
the need to really reach out and honor that, thank those that do a good 
job, and encourage those fathers out there to take a more active role 
in their lives.
  I have had the example in my life, as many have, and unfortunately, 
some have not, of having a great father to

[[Page H3492]]

guide me in this path. I can fondly remember the nights when he would 
tuck me in at night and come over to my bed and say my prayers.
  Every night when I am home, which in our role is not often enough, 
but I always try to take time at the end of the night to go to each 
child's bedroom, and I am very blessed to have four children, along 
with my wife, Debbie, and spend time with them talking about their day, 
saying our prayers, giving them the sign of the cross on their forehead 
to keep them safe through the night and keep them strong in their 
faith, and help them grow in their lives.

                              {time}  2100

  But there are 24 million kids that do not have a father to come and 
talk to them at night or during the day or anytime. And it is those 
that we really our hearts go out to them and we should do everything we 
can to support them in our own way in role models. But the best thing 
that could happen for them is if their father was more involved. And 
that is what we are trying to do today, to encourage current fathers 
and future fathers to play a very important role in their children's 
lives.
  As we celebrate Father's Day, we want to encourage them to remember, 
all fathers to remember that they have a role not just in bringing your 
child to life, but in teaching them, teaching them and working with 
them in their school work, working with them in terms of imparting your 
faith with them, working with them in helping them learn how to play 
sports, how to deal with some of the tough issues they face in life and 
dealing with young kids in their challenges that are giving them a hard 
time and sharing their stories as the struggles you went through.
  So I would just commend and thank all fathers who are doing that 
today and commend them to redouble their efforts. I would encourage 
fathers that maybe have not really focused on that as much to really 
make a resolution this Father's Day to do that more. And I would also 
speak to the young men of the world that are not yet fathers to say, 
listen, if you are going to do that, you ought to take that act 
responsibly and you ought to have a commitment to those children that 
you bring into this world to bring them up as someone that you would be 
as happy to say that this is someone I have invested a lot of my life 
in and I am very pleased how they turned out.
  So thanks to the fathers. Thanks again to the gentlewoman from 
Indiana (Ms. Carson). Thanks to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. 
Sullivan) for bringing this forward, as well as to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to 
object, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy). Let me say 
before I release my right to object, to the coach, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), in particular, because I know what an impact 
coaches have on the lives of young men, and even though I do not know 
the gentleman personally, I have observed him, and just his style 
suggests that he has touched many lives of young people who have been 
guided in a very positive way.
  In Indiana we have Coach Dungy, who is head of the coaches, who is an 
incredible father himself to his biological children. But he has 
reached out and embraced other children who did not have the benefit of 
having the love of a father that he gives to his children. We have Mike 
Davis, an incredible coach at Indiana University, who has reached out 
and embraced other children who did not have the benefit of a personal 
father in their own life.
  We have Emil, who just left to coach and went to the Oakland Raiders, 
who has created an incredible program for the benefit of children, 
particularly young men who did not have fathers. We have Tim Harris, 
who is a millionaire, African American, all of the men I have 
mentioned, African American men who are reaching out doing what they 
can do for the benefit of young men who are not so fortunate to have a 
father in their home. But to coaches in particular, they do have a very 
special segment in the lives of kids.
  Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to tell the gentleman how much I 
appreciate him and the many numerous lives that he has touched along 
the way in his profession.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flake). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 442

       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, and 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 the promotion of responsible fatherhood should 
     not--
       (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 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 a broad array of America'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, father-involved families;
       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;
       Whereas the promotion of responsible fatherhood is a 
     bipartisan issue; 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 academic, moral, and spiritual development of 
     children;
       (2) recognizes the need to encourage active involvement of 
     fathers in the rearing and development of their children;
       (3) encourages each father to devote 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;
       (4) commends the millions of fathers who serve as 
     wonderful, caring parents for their children, while also 
     recognizing that there are children who will have no one with 
     whom to celebrate on Father's Day;
       (5) urges mothers to encourage fathers to play an active 
     role in child-rearing;
       (6) 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
       (7) urges American institutions, and government entities at 
     every level, to promote public policies that encourage and 
     support the efforts of, and remove barriers to, responsible 
     fatherhood.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________