[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 21, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H44-H48]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING MENTORS AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO RECRUIT MENTORS
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 491) honoring individuals who are mentors and
supporting efforts to recruit more mentors.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 491
Whereas mentoring is a strategy for motivating and helping
young people succeed in life by bringing them together in
structured and trusting relationships with caring adults who
provide guidance, support, and encouragement;
Whereas mentoring offers a supportive environment in which
young people can grow, expand their vision, learn necessary
skills, and achieve a future that they may never have thought
possible;
Whereas a growing body of research shows that mentoring
benefits young people in numerous ways, including
improvements in school performance and attendance, self-
confidence, attitudes toward and relationships with adults,
and motivation to reach their potential;
Whereas mentoring is an adaptable, flexible approach that
can be tailored to help children with academics, social
support, career preparation, or leadership development;
Whereas there is in this Nation a mentoring gap, consisting
of over 15,000,000 young people who need mentors but do not
have them;
Whereas, in an effort to begin closing the mentoring gap,
the House of Representatives on December 8, 2003, approved a
measure to significantly increase Federal grant funding for
local mentoring organizations to $100,000,000 for fiscal year
2004;
Whereas the recipients of those grants and other mentoring
programs all across the country rely principally on volunteer
mentors and will need an influx of volunteers to meet the
growing demand for mentoring;
Whereas nonprofit groups and leading media companies have
joined together to designate January 2004 as National
Mentoring Month in an effort to recruit more mentors for
young people;
Whereas the monthlong celebration of mentoring will
encourage more adults to volunteer their time as mentors for
young people and will enlist the involvement of nonprofit
organizations, schools, businesses, faith communities, and
government agencies in the mentoring movement; and
Whereas on January 9, 2004, President George W. Bush signed
a proclamation designating January 2004 as National Mentoring
Month and called upon the people of the United States to
recognize the importance of being role models for youth, to
look for mentoring opportunities in their communities, and to
celebrate this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities,
and programs: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) praises those individuals who have already given their
time to mentor a child; and
(2) supports efforts to recruit more mentors in the United
States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
General Leave
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H. Res. 491.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the National Mentoring Month
Resolution honoring those who give their time to mentor children.
Last night in this Chamber the President emphasized the threat of
terrorism to our Nation's security, and I think all of us are aware of
that threat. I would like to make a point that the major threat to our
Nation's survival, as I see it, is not terrorism, as much of a threat
as this is; but, rather, it is the trauma and dysfunction that is faced
by so many of our children, because they are the future of this
country.
Currently, roughly 50 percent of our young people are growing up
without both biological parents. We have 20 million fatherless children
in our Nation. I used to work with some of those young people. And when
your father does not care enough about you to stay around to even see
what you look like, it leaves a hole in your psyche that you are often
times trying to fill for the rest of your life and usually filling it
with all of the wrong things.
Currently, the United States leads the world in violence for young
people: homicide, suicide, so on. We also are certainly very much
addicted to drugs, alcohol abuse with teenagers, pornography. These are
every day threats that our young people face. So having said all that,
mentoring is the best-known remedy that many of us have for the social
pathology that is harming our children today which threatens the
foundation of our culture and our society.
Let me take a minute or two and mention what a mentor is. Some people
hear the term and do not think about it very much. A mentor is someone
who cares. Quite often children have some attention from fathers,
mothers, grandparents, teachers and preachers and people who are paid
to pay attention to them in some way or another. But a mentor is one
who simply cares enough to show up and spend time with a young person
and say unconditionally, I, someone who has no ax to grind at all,
cares enough about you to show up every week or twice a week or
whatever and spend some time and invest my life in your life.
A mentor is also someone who affirms. And I saw in my previous
profession of coaching how important affirmation was. So often if you
gave the player the message that he was not very good, that he did not
measure up, that he was not going to make it, often times his
performance would begin to play down to that level of expectation. But
on the other hand, if you told him, I really believe in you, I see some
promise in you, we think you have a great future, we think down the
line you will be a great player, that player often times would perform
at a level that he himself was not aware that he could perform at.
So that is essentially what a mentor does. A mentor affirms. He says,
I believe in you. I see some potential here. I see some talent.
So many of our young people today have no affirmation in their lives,
no one who is affirming who they are, what they are or what they can
do.
Lastly, I would say a mentor is one who provides some directions and
vision. So many young people are growing up in households today where
they really do not have a role model who has shown what it is to get up
and go to work every day, someone who takes responsibility, someone who
finishes their education or someone who just finishes anything. A
mentor is one who can say, I see a future for you beyond dropping out
at the end of the tenth grade. I see a future for you beyond minimum-
wage jobs, and you have this talent and you can do this.
So mentoring is very important, and I think it is important to
realize also that mentoring works. We have currently a great deal of
evidence that indicates that mentoring will reduce drug and alcohol
abuse by roughly 50 percent, significantly reduces teenage pregnancy,
teenage drop-out rates, teenage violence; and it improves self-esteem,
grades, and relationships. And so it is the best thing that we have
going, considering what our children are facing today.
The other thing to remember is that mentoring is cost effective. It
costs roughly $300 to $500 to provide a good mentoring experience for a
child, and it costs $25,000 to $30,000 to lock them up for a year. The
average meth addict will commit 64 crimes a year, which is a huge cost
to any community. So we feel that mentoring at the front end reduces a
great many of the costs at the back end of the social process.
Two years ago, the first Mentoring for Success grants were awarded by
the
[[Page H45]]
Department of Education. And to give an idea of how important these
grants were, we had roughly 10 times as many applicants as we had
grants to award. So that $17.5 million that was awarded went very
quickly and was well spent.
This fiscal year with the President's support, funding for mentoring
has been increased in the omnibus bill, if we can get that passed,
which includes mentoring for children of prisoners as well. It
increases from $17.5 million to $100 million. So the President has put
a significant emphasis on mentoring, which we think is very important.
The National Mentoring Partnership estimates that 2.5 million
children have mentors in our country today, and roughly 17.5 million
badly need a mentor. So we are mentoring just about 1 out of 10 that
need it. But actually, almost every child could use a mentor. Most
every successful person can point to a mentor in their life that has
made a huge difference.
Congressional staff members are mentoring. One example is Horton's
Kids. I would encourage Members of Congress to encourage their staff
members to be active here on the Hill because this provides a great
service and a great example. As we celebrate National Mentoring Month
through January, I want to commend all who support mentoring by
contributing their time and financial resources.
Working together one child at a time, we can make a difference.
Mr. Speaker, I include the following for the Record:
American Osteopathic Association,
Washington, DC, January 20, 2004.
Hon. Tom Osborne,
House of Representatives, Cannon House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Representative Osborne: As President of the American
Osteopathic Association (AOA), I am pleased to inform you of
our support for your resolution. The AOA, and the 52,000
osteopathic physicians it represents, extends its sincere
gratitude to you for your support and advocacy of mentoring
programs.
Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D.O., founder of osteopathic
medicine, dedicated his life to improving the health and
well-being of his fellow citizens. Through a lifetime of
sharing his knowledge and experiences, he shaped the lives of
thousands of physicians and provided direction to an entire
profession. He was a mentor in the truest sense. Recognizing
the significant role of mentors and the contributions they
make to enhance the studies and careers of osteopathic
physicians, I have made my presidency the Year of the Mentor.
Throughout the year, we work to recognize those who have
contributed their time and talents to mentoring. In addition,
we work to enroll new mentors who will shape the minds and
talents of future D.O.s.
Your resolution, celebrating January 2004 as the Month of
the Mentor, supports efforts to honor mentors and increase
the number of individuals involved in mentoring programs. As
evidenced by the lives and careers of those who have been
mentored, mentoring positively impacts individuals and
communities. As a result of mentoring within the osteopathic
profession, beginning with our founder, patients benefit by
receiving quality care from physicians who have enhanced
their knowledge through the years of learning and experience
of their mentors.
On behalf of my fellow osteopathic physicians, I pledge our
support for your effort to promote mentoring programs. Please
do not hesitate to call upon the AOA or our members for
assistance on health care issues. Please contact the AOA's
Department of Government Relations at (202) 414-0140 for
additional information.
Sincerely,
Darryl A. Beechler,
President.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nebraska for his
leadership in bringing this resolution recognizing National Mentoring
Month to the floor today. Since he arrived in Congress, the gentleman
from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) has worked to make youth issues a priority,
and this resolution is another example of his dedication to this
effort.
Without a doubt, Mr. Speaker, mentoring is a proven strategy that can
change the lives of children and youth, and, I might add, adds
additional value to the lives of those who provide the mentoring
service.
When a young person is matched with a caring, responsible individual,
this relationship makes a positive difference in the quality of life
for that young person. For too long we have focused on providing
remedies to problems that only address negative behavior rather than
looking at ways that promote the positive and healthy development of
our young people. This resolution directs us to focus on what children
need to grow into healthy, safe, and well-educated adults, making sure
that children have access to a caring and responsible adult
relationship.
A recent report from the Greater West Town Community Development
Project showed that nearly 18 percent of Chicago public school students
drop out. Another report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation showed that
more than 200,000 Chicago-area children are living in severely
distressed neighborhoods. These are among the tens of thousands of
Chicago area youth who could dramatically benefit from having a mentor,
since without one, some would never be exposed to healthy, productive
lifestyles and the development of real-life skills.
Research shows that young people who are mentored had a stronger
attachment to school, have higher graduation rates and decreased
involvement with drugs and violence. Mentoring opens young people's
eyes to a brighter future, and every young person deserves that
opportunity. But right now there are simply not enough mentors to go
around.
This resolution brings much needed attention to the value of
mentoring and encourages communities to focus their efforts on
recruiting more adult mentors so that we can fill the gap that
currently exists. I am proud of many of the great mentoring programs
that are already in place in Chicago, such as Mercy Home's Friends
First program, Sinai Mentoring Program which links Sinai professionals
with youth from North and South Lawndale high schools, as well as the
involvement of the Chicago Cubs headed by Coach Dusty Baker kicking off
the celebration of National Mentoring Month in Chicago last week.
In Chicago and across the country, it is clear that the framework is
in place. Now we just need more people to volunteer their time and help
change the life of a child. I am very pleased to be associated with
many groups and organizations, like the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity,
which has a great national mentoring program, and especially my local
chapter Mu Mu Lambda. I am also pleased to be associated with the 100
Black Men of America who have mentoring programs in chapters throughout
the Nation.
So I want to commend also the Chicago public school system, the board
of education, for a program called Cradle to the Classroom where they
have mentors who work individually with young parents, students who
have become pregnant and who have children and yet have been able to
finish their high school education and graduate with the help of a
mentor.
So once again I would commend the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.
Osborne) for his insight, dedication, and continuous work with the
development of young people as expressed in this resolution. I urge
strong support for it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Davis) for his kind comments.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the Committee on Education and
the Workforce, who has been very supportive of mentoring; and we
certainly appreciate all he does on the committee.
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.
Osborne) and the sponsor of this resolution for the time and
congratulate him for his leadership on the very important issue of
mentoring.
{time} 1045
As he pointed out very rightly, many children in America need the
help and support that many times they do not get at home, and the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) has led the efforts over the 3
years that he has been here in Congress to bring our attention to the
need for more mentors, and probably no one in the Congress is more
qualified to talk about the need for mentors than someone who mentored
a young man on the football field for many years.
But beyond his prowess as a coach and mentor of a lot of young men,
the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.
[[Page H46]]
Osborne) spent much time around his State of Nebraska helping to
establish mentoring programs there, and during the years he has been in
Congress, has continued his efforts, and I want to congratulate him for
all of his work.
Mentors do provide affirmation and a guidepost for many children who
do not get affirmation and do not get the kind of guidance that they
need. I know in my home State of Ohio we have a program called Ohio
Reads. Many schools in my district have grants where it is a mentoring-
based program to help children who need help in reading, and many
people throughout my community and communities throughout my district
and the State mentor in many schools to help young people achieve more
proficiency in their reading.
Here in Washington and other cities around America, there is a
program called Everybody Wins, and here in Washington, that program
involves many staffers here on Capitol Hill and Members who read to
children in various schools throughout the city. I am proud that many
of my staff, both of my committee staff and my personal staff, are
mentors to young people, again trying to help them read and to provide
guidance for them.
One of those mentors is my assistant in my office, Amy Hobart, who
for 5 years, has read to a young girl at Tyler Elementary School here
on Capitol Hill, and the child has her share of problems, but every
week, Amy goes over there and spends an hour helping that young lady
master her reading skills. But those are just several mere examples of
the millions of Americans who do, in fact, volunteer.
The last point that I would make is that many of us as Members, as we
go around our districts and around the country, people always ask,
well, what can I do, what can I do to help, and everybody in America
has something to offer to some young person in America. So I would
suggest to my fellow Americans that they can volunteer, whether it is
reading to someone, whether it is going to a Boys Club or Girls Club,
whether it is going to a juvenile detention facility. There are many
ways that the people can help, and I would urge them to do that.
I congratulate my colleague for bringing this resolution to the floor
today.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume as I prepare to close.
Listening to the discussion reminds me of the fact that I spent some
time as a big brother, and I think I may have gotten more out of the
relationship than the young fellow who was my little brother. I
remember a few years ago I got a call from a fellow who said to me that
Vice President Al Gore was coming to town and did I want to meet with
him. I said, well, I would not mind. He says, do you know who this is?
I said, well, no, I really do not. He said, this is Courtney Miller,
your little brother, and of course, Courtney had grown up and at that
particular time was working for the Vice President of the United
States.
I also served for about 12 years as the commissioner of Boy Scouts in
my community, and just day before yesterday I was at a Martin Luther
King celebration, and there was a young fellow there who had become a
minister, Jonathan Carter. As Jonathan participated in the services, he
says, well, you know, I used to be a Boy Scout when you were the
scouting commissioner and I have now become what I am. He said, I
remember you coming to our Eagle Scout celebration and talking about
how great it was.
So my point is that oftentimes those who serve as mentors will get as
much from the relationship as the young people that they associate
themselves with.
I listened to the chairman talking about the fact that everybody can
be a part of this. One does not really need to have a degree. One does
not need to have a title. One does not need to be an elected official.
One does not have to be anything special other than themselves.
We have just finished celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King,
and one of the things that Dr. King often would say is that everybody
can be great because everybody can serve. When it comes to mentoring
young people, no matter who we are and where we are, we can serve. We
can be a part of helping to grow and develop the life of someone else.
So, again, I commend the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) for
this resolution and urge its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the gentleman for his comments and his commitment to
mentoring. Ofttimes we hear the complaint ``too busy,'' and yet I have
found the time over the last 4 years, sometimes it is Saturday,
sometimes it is a Monday, sometimes it is Friday, to meet regularly
with a mentoree. I mentor a young person and also several members from
my office have been mentoring here on Capitol Hill.
So, again, I would urge my colleagues to encourage their office staff
to do the same.
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the National
Mentoring Month Resolution introduced by Congressman Tom Osborne. This
resolution recognizes and supports the efforts of mentoring programs
across our Nation. It embraces the notion that volunteer mentors can
change the life of a troubled teen. This resolution celebrates the
month of January as a month-long campaign focused on raising awareness
of mentoring programs, their impact on our youth, and information on
how to volunteer to become a mentor.
I am proud to be an original cosponsor to Congressman Osborne's
resolution. Both Coach Osborne and I worked as mentors before coming to
Congress and both felt a need to raise awareness of the cause once we
were elected. Last Congress, we successfully passed the Mentoring for
Success program, which provided money to start up new mentoring
programs across the country. We also fought for increased Federal
funding for local mentoring programs bringing that total to $100
million this year. In addition, we founded the Congressional Mentoring
Caucus, a bipartisan organization designed to disseminate information
about the positive impact mentoring programs have on our Nation's
children.
Mentoring programs offer many benefits to children, particularly as
it relates to educating our children. These programs are proven to help
prevent children from dropping out of high school. In the state of
Florida, we had a big problem. Only 53 percent of our children were
graduating from high school. So, in Central Florida, we decided to do
something about it by creating the Orlando/Orange County Compact
Program. The Compact Program is a mentoring program that matches up
students at risk of dropping out of high school with mentors from the
business community. The mentors meet with the students 1 hour a week to
work on homework and projects.
The results from this mentoring program have been dramatic. Over a
period of 10 years, 98 percent of the children in the Compact Program
have graduated from high school--the No. 1 graduation rate in the
United States.
I would also like to discuss the crime prevention benefits of
mentoring programs. In Florida, 70 percent of the inmates in our jails
and prisons are high school dropouts. It costs taxpayers $25,000 a year
for each Federal prisoner, compared with only $5,000 a year to educate
a student in our public schools. Clearly, making the investment in
mentoring programs now will save us literally hundreds of millions of
dollars down the road in terms of reduced jail costs and reduced
welfare costs.
In summary, mentoring programs make a meaningful difference in the
lives of our young people; they improve education, prevent crimes, and
will save us money. I urge all of my colleagues to support National
Mentoring Month by participating in local programs in their home
districts--together we can make a difference in the lives of our
children.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my
colleague from Nebraska, Tom Osborne, in support of House Resolution
491, which recognizes the critical role of mentors in our children's
lives.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ``It is one of the most beautiful
compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help
another without helping himself.''
I can think of no better way to summarize the true reward of
mentoring than by recognizing the inherent truth in this statement.
The mentoring partnership is unique, because it is one of the few
relationships where both sides stand to benefit immensely.
Both individuals bring their own--and oftentimes, very different--set
of life experiences to the table, and this has the pleasantly
surprising effect of forcing us outside of our own comfort zones.
It is easy for us to relate to those with whom we share obvious
similarities, but venturing outside of that comfort zone gives us the
opportunity to view the world from an entirely different perspective.
While it may seem too difficult, or uncomfortable at first, you will
find that you are a richer person for it in the end.
[[Page H47]]
My experiences as the executive director of the Aaron Price Fellows
Program have also taught me a great deal about the rewards of
mentoring.
Being a mentor is not about rescuing someone--but it is about helping
young people to discover their own hidden strengths and talents.
In today's world, children need more than a sense of right and wrong.
They need knowledge, and they need someone they can trust to provide it
to them. The risk factors that face teenagers today are not only
dangerous--they are prevalent.
If we fail our responsibility to educate young people on the choices
they face, then we fail to prepare them to make the right decisions.
And the decisions they make will impact them for the rest of their
lives--for better or for worse.
In these situations, the most important information they can receive
will come not from a textbook, but from the wisdom and experience of
someone who cares; someone who has taken the time to invest in that
young person's life and to share the lessons life has to offer. It is
here that we have the greatest potential to make a difference.
Believe it or not, the relationship built on trust and mutual respect
can be the one that finally opens the door to knowledge. It leads the
way to a stronger sense of self and an ability to confront life's
challenges wisely. To put it in the simplest of terms--mentoring
matters.
No matter what side of the mentoring relationship you find yourself
on, the rewards will last a lifetime.
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of the
resolution, this Member wishes to add his strong support for H. Res.
491, which supports efforts to encourage more individuals to become
mentors. In addition to raising awareness, a key provision is to
commend those who give their time and talents to support mentoring
initiatives.
This Member would like to commend the distinguished gentleman from
Ohio [Mr. Boehner], the chairman of the House Committee on Education
and the Workforce, and the distinguished gentleman from California [Mr.
Miller], the ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the
Workforce for bringing this important resolution to the House Floor
today; this issue is very timely as January 2004 is National Mentoring
Month. This Member would also like to commend the distinguished
gentleman form Nebraska [Mr. Osborne] for sponsoring H. Res. 491 and
for his personal interest in establishing mentoring opportunities
nationwide.
Many children throughout the Untied States face difficult
situations--and when matched with a caring and responsible adult,
positive results ensue. Research has shown that mentoring benefits
young people in a positive manner by increasing school attendance,
improving rates of secondary school graduation and college attendance,
decreasing involvement with drugs and alcohol, and reducing violent
behavior.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, this Member urges his colleagues to support
H. Res. 491.
Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House
Resolution 491, a bill that promotes mentoring as a very worthwhile and
much needed cause.
This measure recognizes that mentors serve as a guiding light, a
benchmark, and a valuable asset for the many young people in America
who might not otherwise have access to such a role model.
For many young people, mentors set an example of civility and
stability. Mentors promote education and community respect. Mentors
teach young people that there are many benefits to contributing to
selfless efforts such as charity drives, neighborhood cleanups, and
serving in soup kitchens.
In my congressional district of northeast Florida, there are a great
many volunteers that selflessly give guidance, time, and resources to
young people.
This resolution thanks those people who currently serve as mentors,
and places a special focus on tapping into the vast pool of potential
mentors. My hope is that this resolution will motivate more adults to
take action to help America's young people.
This House resolution recognizes numerous studies documenting that
mentors help young people to augment social skills, enhance emotional
well being, improve cognitive skills, and to plan for the future. It
also recognizes that for some children, having a caring adult mentor to
turn to for guidance and encouragement can make the crucial difference
between success and failure in life.
As a mentor, I personally know the satisfaction it brings to offer
advice and guidance to a young person. I have known my mentor, Derek
Williams, for many years. Over that period we have become good friends.
Today I am proud to say that he is in college, furthering his
education, and building a strong foundation for his future.
This measure does more than encourage mentoring; it gives thanks to
those who already participate in mentoring programs. We should shower
these people with praise because their actions do a lot to benefit
society. That is why during the 107th session of Congress, I introduced
a bill establishing American Youth Day, a measure encouraging
communities all across the Nation to set aside one day each year to
honor organizations and individuals that take the time to help young
people.
For all its wealth and prosperity, in recent years America has been
suffering from what I call problems of the soul, where courts and
Congress do not have any jurisdiction. So many of our neighbors have
lost their moral compass and need help finding their way again when it
comes to moral values. This is most true when it comes to our young
people.
There no longer seems to be a period in young people's lives when
kids can just be kids. Mr. Speaker, it makes no difference what their
race, their gender, their ethnicity. These negative images and
influences make no distinction and no prejudices; all young people are
fair game.
So it is incumbent on each and every one of us to offer our time and
energy and love to children to provide positive role models and
influences to young people to give them guidance and hope.
Currently, 17.6 million young people, nearly half the youth
population, want or need mentors to help them reach their full
potential. Only 2\1/2\ million youth are in formal mentoring
relationships, leaving 15 million young people still in need of
mentors.
This resolution is a call to action, designating January 2004 as
National Mentoring Month. It is my hope that this month-long
celebration of mentoring will encourage more adults to volunteer their
time as mentors for young people and enlist the involvement of
nonprofit organizations, schools, businesses, faith communities, and
government agencies in the mentoring movement.
As President Bush noted last night in his state of the Union address,
America's young people face dangers. Young people face negative
cultural influences that glorify and glamorize those things that can
hurt them most. Mentoring is focused on providing young people the best
our society can offer--hope, stability, guidance, and understanding.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 491,
legislation recognizing the importance of mentoring.
This resolution, introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.
Osborne), reminds us all of the important role that caring adults play
in the lives of our Nation's youth, and I thank the gentleman for his
work in Congress--as well as his work with his own mentoring
organization, ``TeamMates of Nebraska''--on this important issue.
Today's teens cope with major physical changes, emotional ups and
downs, peer pressures and a changing identity, but they are also
confronted by a more complex and impersonal society where drugs and
alcohol are easily available and tragedies, such as AIDS and violence,
strike too close to home. In this time of growth and uncertainty, our
children need positive role models, or mentors, in their lives.
Simply, a mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides young
people with support, counsel, and friendship. Most important, mentors
are people who care. And, for many children, that makes all the
difference.
According to recent research, children with mentors are 46 percent
less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 52 percent less likely to
skip school, and 33 percent less likely to get into fights. In
addition, children with mentors reported greater confidence in their
performance at school and better relationships with their families.
Despite these positive outcomes, too many children who need a mentor
do not have one. In my state of Delaware alone, an estimated 10,000
young people could benefit from a positive, supportive relationship
with an adult, but approximately 7,000 are currently served.
It is therefore appropriate that January is National Mentoring Month,
a time in which we encourage caring adults to reach out to the children
and youth in their communities. As part of that effort, I want to
recognize the many businesses, churches and community groups that
partner with our schools to provide mentors to children in need as well
as the informal mentoring relationships that exist between teachers,
coaches and neighbors. I also want to recognize those who lend their
expertise or contribute financially to mentoring organizations. Their
support is as important as volunteering to become a mentor.
Again, I thank the gentleman for his resolution and I urge an ``aye''
vote.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simmons). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 491.
[[Page H48]]
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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