[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 6, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3271-S3272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               BOY SCOUTS

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor an important 
institution in America that has contributed greatly to the quality of 
our youth and is very dear to my heart and the hearts of many here--the 
Boy Scouts of America.
  For more than 90 years, the Scouts have supported our youth and 
helped produce some of the best and brightest leaders in our country--
as many of my colleagues can attest--and I believe we

[[Page S3272]]

must reaffirm our support for the vital work they have done and 
continue to do. Like many of my friends here, I was a Boy Scout many 
years ago.
  As a result of the great work they do, I am pleased to be an original 
cosponsor of S. 642, the ``Support Our Scouts Act of 2005'', a bill 
that reinforces our strong commitment to the Boy Scouts.
  In fact, I had at one time considered introducing my own bill on this 
very important matter. However, I was so pleased with the substance of 
this bill that I was proud to add my name as a cosponsor, and I thank 
my leader, Senator Frist, for his efforts on this issue.
  This bill addresses efforts by some groups to prevent federal 
agencies from supporting our Scouts. This bill would remove any doubts 
that Federal agencies can welcome Scouts and the great work they do 
from camping on Federal property to hosting the national jamboree every 
4 years at Fort A.P. Hill.
  As Senator Frist has said, this legislation will specifically ensure 
that the Department of Defense can and will continue to provide Scouts 
the type of support it has provided in the past. Moreover, the Scouts 
would be permitted equal access to public facilities, forums, and 
programs that are open to a variety of other youth or community 
organizations.
  Regrettably, as we all know, in recent years, the Boy Scouts have 
come under attack from aggressive liberal groups blatantly pushing 
their own social agendas.
  In particular, Scouts have been the target of lawsuits by 
organizations that are more concerned with pushing these liberal 
agendas than sincerely helping our youth.
  For instance, the Federal government is currently defending a lawsuit 
aimed at severing traditional ties between the Boy Scouts and the 
Departments of Defense and Housing and Urban Development.
  What is more, Scouts have been excluded by certain State and local 
governments from utilizing public facilities, forums and programs, 
which are open to other groups.
  It is certainly disappointing and, frankly, frustrating that we have 
reached a point where groups like the ACLU are far more interested in 
tearing down great institutions like the Boy Scouts than helping foster 
character and values in our young men.
  I am tired of these tactics. It is very disturbing to me that these 
groups unabashedly attack organizations, regardless of the good they do 
or the support they have from the vast majority of Americans, simply to 
further their own subjective social agendas.
  I for one, am saddened that the Boy Scouts of America has been the 
most recent target of these frivolous lawsuits. I reject any arguments 
that the Boy Scouts is anything but one of the greatest programs for 
character development and values-based leadership training in America 
today.
  We must coalesce around those values that are so important to our 
society. We should seek to aid, not impede, groups that promote values 
like duty to God and country, faith and family, and public service and 
sacrifice, which are deeply ingrained in the oath of every scout.
  To fail to support such values would allow the very fabric of 
America, which has brought us to this great place in history, to be 
destroyed.
  Today, with more than 3.2 million youth members, and more than 1.2 
million adult volunteers, we can certainly say that the Boy Scouts of 
America has positively impacted the lives of generations of boys, 
preparing them to be men of great character and values. Remarkably, Boy 
Scout membership since 1910 totals more than 110 million.
  I am proud to report that in Oklahoma we have a total youth 
participation of nearly 75,000 boys, and in Oklahoma City alone, we 
have about 7,000 adult volunteers.
  These young men have helped serve communities all over our State with 
programs like Helping Hands for Heroes, program where Scouts help 
military families whose loved ones are serving overseas. These young 
men have cut grass, cleaned homes, taken out the garbage and walked 
dogs. What a great service for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and 
marines and their families. Our Boy Scouts have also to served as 
ushers and first aid responders at the University of Oklahoma football 
games for more than 50 years.
  Notably, Scouts in my State have also shared a long and proud history 
of cooperation and partnership with military installations in Oklahoma.
  Given all this, I hope my colleagues will join me in defending this 
organization and others like it. We must not be afraid to support our 
youth and organizations like the Boy Scouts that support them.

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