[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 86 (Thursday, June 12, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           FATHER'S DAY 2003

  (Ms. CARSON of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, Sunday, June 15 is Father's Day 
in America. Children and families will give tribute to men who are 
wonderful, caring parents. According to the 2000 census, there were 27 
million fathers who had children under the age of 18 in their 
households in the year 2000. According to the National Fatherhood 
Initiative, an estimated 25 million children live absent from their 
biological fathers, up from under 10 million in 1960. Of the children 
under 18 in the United States, 66 percent lived with both parents and 5 
percent lived with only their father in 2000.
  All fathers can be important contributors to the well-being of their 
children. Kristin Clark Taylor, author of ``Black Fathers, A Call for 
Healing,'' in her introduction writes:
  ``We are in need of our fathers. Our stomachs are growling, hungry 
for their presence. Our throats are parched, thirsty for the moment, 
the minute, the second that they walk back into our lives and bring 
smiles.''
  I encourage, Mr. Speaker, the fathers across this land to do all that 
they can do to be with their children, not just for a Sunday holiday 
but to be a permanent part of their life. To quote Marian Wright 
Edelman, director of the Children's Defense Fund, ``We do not need an 
$82 billion bill to correct a $3.5 billion injustice.'' Fathers are 
struggling to be the best dad for the most part.
  I salute Father's Day 2003 and fatherhood. I call upon the Congress 
to do what they can do to help the fathers, fatherhood and the wannabe 
fathers through responsible child tax credit legislation.
  Happy Father's Day.

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