[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 75 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H3813-H3815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD, PROMOTING MARRIAGE, AND ENCOURAGING
GREATER INVOLVEMENT OF FATHERS IN THE LIVES OF THEIR CHILDREN,
ESPECIALLY ON FATHER'S DAY
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 318) supporting responsible fatherhood,
promoting marriage, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in
the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 318
Whereas married fathers are more likely to have a close,
enduring relationship with their children than unmarried
fathers;
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 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 a broad array of the Nation'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 families where the father is actively
involved with his children;
Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood can help increase
the chances that children will grow up with two caring
parents;
Whereas children with fathers at home tend to do better in
school, to be less prone to emotional and behavioral
problems, 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 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, or become
pregnant as teenagers;
Whereas the promotion of responsible fatherhood should not
denigrate the standing or parenting efforts of single
mothers, whose efforts are heroic, lessen the protection of
children from abusive parents, cause women to remain in, or
enter into, abusive relationships, or compromise the health
or safety of a custodial parent; and
Whereas Father's Day is the third Sunday in June: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) commends the millions of fathers who serve as
wonderful, caring parents for their children;
(2) 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;
(3) urges men to understand the level of responsibility
fathering a child requires, especially in the encouragement
of the moral, academic, and spiritual development of
children; and
(4) encourages active involvement of fathers in the rearing
and development of their children, including the devotion of
time, energy, and resources.
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.
General Leave
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
on H. Res. 318.
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 in strong support of H. Res. 318, and I would
like to congratulate Representative Sullivan on this resolution. The
upcoming celebration of Father's Day is time to reflect on the role
that fathers play in the development of our children and the stability
of our families, and an ever-increasing amount of research supports
what common sense has told us all along, that fathers are essential for
children's development.
Unfortunately, far too many children today are growing up without the
presence of their father, with 24 million children in our country,
approximately one-third of all American children, living apart from
their biological fathers. Even more alarming, 40 percent of those
children, with absent fathers, have not even seen their fathers in the
last year. Given what we know about the importance of fathers for
children, this statistic is truly alarming.
In my previous profession, I saw firsthand the increase in
fatherlessness and witnessed this devastating effect on the young men I
worked with. I was excited to receive a call one day from one of my
player's fathers who wanted to reestablish contact with his son after
many years' absence.
I was really excited and went and found the player, told him his dad
had called. I knew that he hadn't seen him for 15 or 20 years. So I
told him about this call. I remember the player saying this: he said,
you know he really didn't care about me when I was little, and now he
only wants to see me because I am doing well in football. The player
didn't even call his father back after 20 years. So fatherlessness has
become very real to me because of those experiences.
Research performed by the National Fatherhood Initiative has
indicated that children, both boys and girls with involved loving
fathers, are more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem
and avoid high-risk behaviors. But just as the presence of a loving
father has positive overwhelming effects on a child, the lack of a
father carries extremely negative effects.
[[Page H3814]]
Children who live absent their fathers are two to three times more
likely to use drugs, experience behavioral problems, be victims of
abuse, and engage in criminal behavior.
{time} 1400
A few years ago, a greeting card company offered free cards to
inmates from a prison to send to mothers on Mother's Day. Nearly all
the prisoners took the offer and sent cards to their mothers. So the
greeting card company was somewhat encouraged by the success and they
decided that they would then make the same offer when Father's Day came
around. They offered free cards to send to fathers on Father's Day, and
they had zero takers. There was no one in that prison who wanted to
send a card to his father on Father's Day, which is a real indictment,
I think, of the situation in regard to fatherlessness of those who end
up in prison.
It is also important for fathers to foster close, caring
relationships with their children. Additional research from the
National Fatherhood Initiative suggests that adolescents are less
likely to smoke, drink or use drugs if they have a close relationship
with their father, and adolescents in intact families are also less
likely to be negatively influenced by their peers or engage in
delinquent behavior.
So what can be done to improve the state of fatherhood? Perhaps the
simplest answer can be found in a sound marriage. It is the basic
social contract between parents that provides the optimal environment
for raising children.
Research by the Fatherhood Initiative says that the concept of
marriage is well-supported in America. In fact, nearly 90 percent of
survey respondents disagreed with the statement that marriage is old-
fashioned and outmoded. Clearly, there is support for the idea of
marriage among Americans, yet at the same time half of all first
marriages in our country end in divorce. This is linked to the
stability of our families, indicating that we must work harder to make
sure that marriage and fatherhood is encourage and supported in our
society.
I would just say, Mr. Speaker, in concluding my opening remarks, that
from my perspective, working with young people for over 36 years, the
greatest crisis, the greatest threat facing our country today is not
problems with the economy, is not al Qaeda, but it is simply father
absence. If we could undo that extreme difficulty with our society, we
would solve probably 80, 90 percent of our social problems in our
country.
So I strongly support H. Res. 318 and urge its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
might consume.
Mr. Speaker, marriage rates are down, divorce is up, unemployment is
high, and there are many other social and economic factors which have
led to a reduction in the leadership of families by two adults. There
are more single family homes and more and more absence of fathers from
the lives of children.
I have observed these trends for a number of years and, therefore,
rise in strong support of H. Res. 318, a bill supporting responsible
fatherhood, promoting marriage and encouraging greater involvement of
fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day.
As we express our support for responsible fatherhood, we should not
forget one key aspect of being a responsible father, regular financial
contributions. Many low-income, noncustodial parents are barely able to
support themselves, let alone their children. For example, as many as
one-quarter of noncustodial fathers have incomes below the poverty
line. Moreover, they generally experience multiple barriers to
employment, including limited work experience, no high school diplomas,
no college degrees, criminal histories, transportation restrictions and
substance abuse, which really means that they have problems and need
help with those problems.
The multiple barriers to employment coupled with child support
enforcement rules that are ill-matched to meet the needs of low-income,
noncustodial parents often present major disincentives to work or
incentives to work in the informal or underground economy, making this
population incredibly difficult to recruit and serve within existing
fatherhood programs.
Given the widely understood and acknowledged benefits of an actively
involved father in the lives of children, we would see that more
children have self-control and are less likely to be found within the
penal system. From research, we have observed that 63 percent of
suicides, 71 percent of pregnant teens, and 90 percent of homeless
runaway children are from homes without a father.
Children who develop relationships with their fathers are more likely
to develop healthy adult relationships and to feel secure regarding who
they are. A father's presence in a child's life is a powerful deterrent
to delinquency.
We should work together to remove barriers from employment that
affect noncustodial parents and in many instances prevent them from
assuming a supportive role in the lives of their children, and we have
to find ways to facilitate their involvement.
I have been pleased to work for the last several years with a noted
attorney, Jeffrey Levin, who has written a book about father's rights
and responsibilities, and every year before Father's Day we convene a
full day of activities, seminars, discussions, programs that are
designed to help fathers find the way to come back into or reconnect
with their children.
I also want to commend the Governor of the State of Illinois, a
former Member of this body, Governor Rod Blagojevich, for establishing
a fatherhood council for the State and appointing Attorney Levin to be
the chairman of that.
So we know that in addition to encouraging fathers to be involved
that we need to do more than that. We need to facilitate involvement by
promoting male involvement in Head Start and other early childhood
education programs, by supporting Little League and other programs and
encouraging fathers to be an integral part of those.
So I commend the gentleman for introducing this legislation, express
strong support for it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan), the author of this resolution.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and
friend from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) for his work on this. It has been
great, and as we anticipate the celebration of Father's Day this
weekend, I am proud to have introduced H. Res. 318, which supports
responsible fatherhood, promotes marriage and encourages greater
involvement of fathers in the lives of their children.
Three of my four children are in Washington with me this week, and I
find it very fitting that they are here to share in the passage of this
resolution. Being a father is one of the greatest blessings in my life.
I love my job, but I look forward to the end of the week when I can
head back home to Tulsa and to be with my family.
My children Tommy, Meredith, Sydney and Daniel are my number one
priority, and I strive every day to show them they are important. I
would like to take this opportunity to remind all fathers, including
myself, to spend extra quality time with their children on Father's Day
and to continue to do so throughout the year.
I introduced this resolution not only to honor fathers but to call
attention to the importance of the job. The role that fathers play in
the development of our youth cannot be understated.
According to findings by the National Fatherhood Initiative, which
have been reiterated already, the closer adolescents feel to their
fathers regardless of the type of family structure in which they live,
the less likely it is that they will engage in the use of drugs or
delinquent behavior. Involved and proactive fathers help to shape
confident and productive future citizens.
So as we honor fathers on Father's Day we should also encourage men
to evaluate their own participation in their children's lives, because
you can never be too involved.
It is also important to note that this bill includes language
recognizing the outstanding efforts of single mothers, grandparents and
other caretakers. Their efforts are heroic and should be applauded.
[[Page H3815]]
As a cochair of the Fatherhood Caucus, as a father and as a concerned
citizen, I ask my colleagues to promote responsible fatherhood and
support H. Res. 318.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe that I have any
other requests for time.
Again, I simply want to commend Mr. Sullivan for his introduction of
this legislation, and I believe that was probably one of his sons on
the floor with him, and I can imagine how he feels, and that ought to
be an example for other fathers throughout America and throughout the
world to recognize the tremendous value of providing the kind of love,
affection and involvement in the lives of children that they receive
from responsible fathers.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this
resolution.
We often hear about deadbeat and delinquent dads. So it is easy to
forget the millions of dads across America who are striving to be good
husbands and positive role models for their kids.
Today, we recognize those dads and the tremendous importance of
promoting fatherhood in America. There is no denying the invaluable
role that a father plays in a child's life.
According to research from the National Fatherhood Initiative,
children with involved and loving fathers have a significant advantage
in life. They tend to perform better in school, have a healthy self-
esteem, exhibit positive social behavior, and avoid drug use and other
criminal activity.
But this kind of statistical research really just affirms what we
already know to be true: Fatherhood is important. A loving father plays
an integral role in the family, and healthy families are the foundation
for a healthy society.
This resolution acknowledges that fact, Mr. Speaker, and it is worthy
of our consideration and adoption today. I commend the gentleman, Mr.
Sullivan, for his leadership on the issue and urge support for the
resolution.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. McNulty).
Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I
rise in support of the resolution. I want to echo what others have said
about the importance of family.
When we talk about priorities, we have a long list and wide range of
them. I think it is critically important to keep family first.
I enthusiastically support the resolution, and I want to say how much
our children, Nancy's and mine, Michele, Angela, Nancy and Maria, mean
to us; and how much our five grandchildren mean to us, Teigin, Elijah,
Lola, Morgyn and Daniel. They are the light of our lives.
I thank the gentleman for bringing this resolution to the floor. I
urge all members to support it.
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H. Res.
318 to encourage responsible fatherhood. As we recognize fathers across
the country and in celebration of Father's Day, we honor caring,
involved fathers and hearten other men to also hold their children and
the family unit in the highest regard.
Numerous studies conducted throughout the years have continued to
underscore the fundamental role fathers play in a family and highlight
the positive effects they have on children. I want to encourage men who
are not already doing so to take the responsibility of fatherhood
seriously and to understand that there are considerable consequences to
broken-families where there is no male role model for the children.
Children in father-absent homes have a tendency to live in poverty,
use drugs, commit crimes, drop out of school, and in the case of young
women--become pregnant as teenagers. Conversely, children in homes with
fathers who are dependable and active tend to do better in school, are
less prone to depression and demonstrate the ability to form more
successful relationships.
The role of a father is one to be celebrated. A father provides
safety, security, love, and support. Children inherently covet and
require these qualities as they mature into young adults, and they
deserve the opportunity to prosper and learn in a stable home.
Fathers who dedicate their time, energy, and resources to their
children harvest the rewards of their efforts as they watch their
children become productive citizens. A father or male-guardian who is
committed and dependable acts also as a mentor--leading by example and
demonstrating the standards by which we expect young people to live.
Mr. Speaker, as we approach Father's Day, I would like to commend the
millions of fathers who already serve as wonderful parents for their
children, and I ask my colleagues to also support this resolution for
the improvement and encouragement of other men nationwide.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr. Davis for his
participation. It seems like we often are involved in these kinds of
issues together.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy). 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. 318, as amended.
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 question will
be postponed.
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