[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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