[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5393-S5394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE CALENDAR
Mr. SUNUNU. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of the following resolutions en
bloc: Calendar No. 73, S.J. Res. 8; Calendar No. 74, S. Res. 108;
Calendar No. 75, S. Res. 111.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolutions en bloc.
Mr. SUNUNU. I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be read
a third time and passed, the resolutions be agreed to, and that the
preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be laid on
the table en bloc, and that any statements relating to these matters be
printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S.J. Res. 8) was read the third time and passed.
The resolutions (S. Res. 108 and S. Res. 111) were agreed to.
The preambles were agreed to.
The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:
S.J. Res. 8
Whereas, on average, another person is sexually assaulted
in the United States every two minutes;
Whereas the Department of Justice reports that 248,000
people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 2001;
Whereas 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims of
rape or attempted rape;
Whereas children and young adults are most at risk, as 44
percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18,
and 80 percent are under the age of 30;
Whereas sexual assault affects women, men, and children of
all racial, social, religious, age, ethnic, and economic
groups in the United States;
Whereas less than 40 percent of sexual assault victims
pursue prosecution by reporting their attack to law
enforcement agencies;
Whereas two-thirds of sexual crimes are committed by
persons who are not strangers to the victims;
Whereas the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half
in the last decade;
Whereas, because of recent advances in DNA technology, law
enforcement agencies have the potential to identify the
rapists in tens of thousands of unsolved rape cases;
Whereas aggressive prosecution can incarcerate rapists and
therefore prevent them from committing further crimes;
Whereas sexual assault victims suffer emotional scars long
after the physical scars have healed; and
Whereas free, confidential help is available to all victims
of sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault
Hotline, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers across the
United States, and other organizations that provide services
to assist victims of sexual assault: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That--
(1) it is the sense of Congress that--
(A) National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
provides a special opportunity to educate the people of the
United States about sexual violence and to encourage both the
prevention of sexual assault and the prosecution of its
perpetrators;
(B) it is appropriate to salute the more than 20,000,000
victims who have survived sexual assault in the United States
and the efforts of victims, volunteers, and professionals who
combat sexual assault;
(C) national and community organizations and private sector
supporters should be recognized and applauded for their work
in promoting awareness about sexual assault, providing
information and treatment to its victims, and encouraging the
increased prosecution and punishment of its perpetrators; and
(D) police, forensic workers, and prosecutors should be
recognized and applauded for their hard work and innovative
strategies to increase the percentage of sexual assault cases
that result in the prosecution and incarceration of the
offenders;
(2) Congress urges national and community organizations,
businesses in the private sector, and the media to promote,
through National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention
Month, awareness of sexual violence and strategies to
decrease the incidence of sexual assault; and
[[Page S5394]]
(3) Congress supports the goals and ideals of National
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
S. Res. 108
Whereas throughout American history, cowboy poets have
played a large part in framing the landscape of the American
West through written and oral poetry;
Whereas the endurance of these tales and poems demonstrates
that cowboy poetry is still a living art;
Whereas recognizing the contributions of these poets dates
as far back as cowboys themselves; and
Whereas it is necessary to recognize the importance of
cowboy poetry for future generations: Now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates that week of April 21 through April 27,
2003, as ``National Cowboy Poetry Week''; and
(2) requests the President to issue a proclamation calling
upon the people of the United States to celebrate the week
with the appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
S. Res. 111
Whereas many nations throughout the world, and especially
within the Western hemisphere, celebrate ``Dia de los Ninos''
on the 30th of April, in recognition and celebration of their
country's future--their children;
Whereas children represent the hopes and dreams of the
people of the United States;
Whereas children are the center of American families;
Whereas children should be nurtured and invested in to
preserve and enhance economic prosperity, democracy, and the
American spirit;
Whereas Hispanics in the United States, the youngest and
fastest growing ethnic community in the Nation, continue the
tradition of honoring their children on this day, and wish to
share this custom with the rest of the Nation;
Whereas 1 in 4 Americans is projected to be of Hispanic
descent by the year 2050, and there are, in 2003,
approximately 12.3 million Hispanic children in the United
States;
Whereas traditional Hispanic family life centers largely on
children;
Whereas the primary teachers of family values, morality,
and culture are parents and family members, and we rely on
children to pass on these family values, morals, and culture
to future generations;
Whereas more than 500,000 children drop out of school each
year and Hispanic dropout rates are unacceptably high;
Whereas the importance of literacy and education are most
often communicated to children through family members;
Whereas families should be encouraged to engage in family
and community activities that include extended and elderly
family members and encourage children to explore, develop
confidence, and pursue their dreams;
Whereas the designation of a day to honor the children of
the Nation will help affirm for the people of the United
States the significance of family, education, and community;
Whereas the designation of a day of special recognition of
children of the United States will provide an opportunity for
children to reflect on their future, to articulate their
dreams and aspirations, and find comfort and security in the
support of their family members and communities;
Whereas the National Latino Children's Institute, serving
as a voice for children, has worked with cities throughout
the country to declare April 30 as ``Dia de los Ninos:
Celebrating Young Americans''--a day to bring together
Latinos and other communities nationwide to celebrate and
uplift children; and
Whereas the children of a nation are the responsibility of
all its people, and people should be encouraged to celebrate
the gifts of children to society--their curiosity, laughter,
faith, energy, spirit, hopes, and dreams: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates April 30, 2003, as ``Dia de los Ninos:
Celebrating Young Americans''; and
(2) requests that the President issue a proclamation
calling on the people of the United States to join with all
children, families, organizations, communities, churches,
cities, and States across the Nation to observe the day with
appropriate ceremonies, including--
(A) activities that center around children, and are free or
minimal in cost so as to encourage and facilitate the
participation of all our people;
(B) activities that are positive, uplifting, and that help
children express their hopes and dreams;
(C) activities that provide opportunities for children of
all backgrounds to learn about one another's cultures and
share ideas;
(D) activities that include all members of the family, and
especially extended and elderly family members, so as to
promote greater communication among the generations within a
family, enabling children to appreciate and benefit from the
experiences and wisdom of their elderly family members;
(E) activities that provide opportunities for families
within a community to get acquainted; and
(F) activities that provide children with the support they
need to develop skills and confidence, and find the inner
strength--the will and fire of the human spirit--to make
their dreams come true.
S. Res. 111
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, nations throughout the world, especially
within Latin America, celebrate Dia De los Ninos on the 30th of April,
in recognition and celebration of their country's future--their
children. Many American Hispanic families continue the tradition of
honoring their children on this day by celebrating Dia De los Ninos in
their homes.
The designation of a day to honor the children of the Nation will
help affirm for the people of the United States the significance of
family, education, and community. This special recognition of children
will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on our future,
articulate our dreams and aspirations, and find comfort and security in
the support of our family members and communities. This resolution
calls on the American people to join with all children, families,
organizations, communities, churches, cities, and States across the
Nation to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
I thank my colleagues for supporting America's youth by supporting
this resolution designating April 30, 2003, Dia De los Ninos:
Celebrating Young Americans.
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