[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 93 (Monday, June 11, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H6189-H6192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENCOURAGING DISPLAY OF THE FLAG ON FATHER'S DAY
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2356) to amend title 4, United States Code, to encourage the
display of the flag of the United States on Father's Day.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2356
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL OCCASSION FOR DISPLAY OF THE FLAG OF
THE UNITED STATES.
Section 6(d) of title 4, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after ``Flag Day, June 14;'' the following:
``Father's Day, third Sunday in June;''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) and the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2356
and include extraneous materials in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As part of our Nation's bicentennial celebration in 1976, Congress
passed a joint resolution re-emphasizing existing rules and customs
pertaining to the display and use of the flag, especially recommending
its display on a number of different holidays, including Mother's Day,
the second Sunday in May.
Omitted from the list was Father's Day. H.R. 2356 would amend the
Federal flag code to include Father's Day, the third Sunday in June,
among important holidays on which to fly the American flag.
The law now provides that, in addition to the important occasions
listed in the flag code, ``the flag should be displayed on all days.''
I know that this is the custom in every community in the United States.
Still, I think that it is important for the flag code to recognize
both mothers and fathers, who raise the next generation, inculcate them
with the values they need to be good citizens and good neighbors.
I want to thank our colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott)
for his efforts to enact this worthwhile legislation.
And I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to
honor fathers in the flag code, just as we now honor mothers.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of this legislation which would add Father's Day,
the third Sunday in June, to the list of holidays listed in the U.S.
flag code on which it's particularly appropriate to fly the American
flag.
It's altogether appropriate that Father's Day be added to the list of
holidays on which the flag should be flown. Both fathers and mothers
are essential elements to the basic family unit that has made America
so strong. And so the flag should be flown proudly on both Father's
Day, as provided by this bill, and on Mother's Day, as already provided
in existing law, as a sign of respect for both mothers and fathers and
the essential role the traditional family plays in raising new citizens
in our democracy.
I would add, I want to also thank Congressman Todd Tiahrt for
bringing this initiative to Congress. It's interesting to note that
there was a class in his district that when they were studying the
history and studying the days that the Federal Government encourages
display of the flag, they noticed that Father's Day was missing. They
had written a letter to Congressman Tiahrt asking that he take action
on this, and he has introduced a bill and it complements this bill
before us.
So I thank him for that and I wanted to emphasize how important it is
for citizens to weigh in and to reach out and communicate with Members
of Congress because here's a perfect example of how young people saw a
gap, had their voice heard, and we have an opportunity here now to fill
that gap.
[[Page H6190]]
The first Father's Day celebration occurred in Fairmont, West
Virginia, in 1908, and the first Mother's Day celebration occurred just
15 miles away in Grafton, West Virginia. So that neighborhood is the
home now of Father's Day and Mother's Day. But it's a historical
anomaly that Mother's Day and Father's Day were instituted so close in
time, but it has taken until today for the House to pass a bill to add
Father's Day to the day on which it's especially appropriate to fly the
flag.
President Calvin Coolidge recommended Father's Day as a national
holiday in 1924; and in 1966, President Johnson made Father's Day a
holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was
officially recognized in 1972, during the Presidency of Richard Nixon.
I look forward to President Bush signing this legislation into law and
encouraging all Americans to fly the flag of their own fatherhood
celebrations, which will happen at my house.
And as a father, I'm particularly pleased to be here on the eve of
the next Father's Day, helping support this piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott), the sponsor of this
legislation.
{time} 1430
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, thank you to Ms. Baldwin, the
distinguished lady from Wisconsin for her generosity, and thanks to Mr.
King and those on the other side of the aisle who are joining in this
effort.
Mr. Speaker, without question, this is an extraordinary day, it is an
extraordinary bill, is an extraordinary occasion. This is America, the
greatest country in the world, and our flag represents greatness. To
have now, finally, fruition, the manifestation of those precious words
that were captured in the book of Exodus in the holy scriptures, where
God said, the greatest and the first commandment in relationship of man
to man were these words, ``Honor thy father,'' and then He said, ``and
thy mother that thy days will be long in the land.''
Finally, today, on this day, June 11, in the year 2007, nearly 4,000
years since those words were written down and inscribed, we are finally
recognizing fathers as well as mothers by making sure the flag flies
not just on Mother's Day but on Father's Day as well.
In the Hebrew language, the word for ``father'' is ``abba, ``and in
the Greek language it is ``pater,'' and together those words mean the
begatter, the progenitor, the source. But it also means provider and
protector. It is no wonder why God in His wisdom said: ``Honor thy
father'' and He put father first, and our mother, and now we are
rectifying that situation.
I am very delighted to be here. This is an important bill, at an
important time, because never before have we needed to stress the role
of father, to be a good father.
It is a gaping hole in the fabric of America that fathers are not
being fathers. Throughout so many aspects of our society, the American
flag is one of the greatest symbols of our country. It is the
representation of our freedoms, our values, our heritage as a Nation.
As Americans, our flag code instructs us to fly the flag every day,
but especially on a number of very special significant Federal,
religious, and cultural holidays. For many years, this list of
occasions has included Veterans Day, President's day, Columbus Day and
Mother's Day.
In the past several years, the list was amended to include the
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s observation of his birthday as a
national holiday, in honor of his outstanding contributions that he
made in his lifetime to the advancement of the civil rights of all
Americans.
But our flag code currently does not reflect the important roles of
both men and women in the raising of children, and never before have we
needed to emphasize that. It is time that this body officially
recognizes the importance of American fathers by passing this important
legislation today.
I am pleased that the House is considering H.R. 2356, for fathers
play an extraordinary role in the development of children.
Psychologists have emphasized that the presence of a father
significantly influences a child's development in many ways. Infants
not only distinguish between their father and strangers' voices within
the first 4 weeks of life, but infants also recognize that a father is
likely to engage in play time with them.
That first impression, to hear that strong comforting voice of a
father, to balance that with the mother, is so critical in the
development of our children. In later years, the relationship between a
father and his children strongly influences success in the classroom,
improves relationships with peers, and decreases the likelihood of
negative behavior.
Is there any wonder that today in so many reaches and depths in our
neighborhoods that there is negative behavior, and that is so much
associated because there is not a father being a father in the home and
in the life of that child.
The presence of a father is also a very important determinant in the
child's socioeconomic potential later in life. Unfortunately, over the
last four decades, research shows that there has been an unprecedented
rise in this Nation in the number of fatherless homes, especially when
they are first born, no father.
The National Fatherhood Initiative emphasizes that children from
families with fathers are five times less likely to be poor. What is
the answer to poverty? Getting the fathers who produce these children
to be fathers, to take care of these children and be responsible for
these children.
It is important for Congress to emphasize the significance of fathers
and their socioeconomic value of the two-parent family as well, for
studies also show that children are more likely to engage in
recreational activities when their fathers are present. When fathers
are involved in organized sports such as soccer, baseball and
basketball, they are not only encouraging physical activity in their
children, but also character development and sportsmanship.
Fathers also benefit for participating in their children's teams, as
physical activity contributes to increased wellness and disease
prevention in men. Fathers who are active in child rearing may also
find themselves more nurturing toward their colleagues in the
workplace, improving other aspects of their lives, by taking younger
coworkers under their wing or volunteering more time to charitable
organizations as well.
Schools across this country are developing innovative programs to
reach out to parents and to especially get fathers involved in various
and positive activities. In Kansas City, Missouri, the Reconnecting
Education and DADS organization developed a specific reading program
for fathers to use with their children.
The Kindering Center of Belleview, Washington, created a weekly
support group for fathers of children with special needs. All over the
country, schools are facilitating courses in responsible fatherhood,
including education on child development, managing stress and good
nutrition for their children and themselves.
I want to take just a minute here to acknowledge the important work
of a similar organization in my own congressional district in Georgia.
These men, these fathers are making a difference in the lives of our
children by volunteering their time to improve the learning
environment, not only for the children, but the many others who are
within the school as well. They call it the DADS organization, DADS,
whose acronym stands for Diverse and Dedicated Support, and it is a
collective effort by fathers in my congressional district to serve as
role models, not the athlete, not the rap guy, not the singer, not the
superstars. The great role models for our young people need to be their
fathers. By doing this today, this Congress is making this bold and
much-needed statement.
This program places fathers of students in Clayton County, Georgia,
middle schools to serve as hallway and classroom monitors to help with
the discipline problems in our schools. Who better to do that, helping
faculty to maintain order as students transition between classes
throughout the day. This is where the violence sometimes starts. But
with a parent there, particularly a father, a strong male presence,
these men also serve as tutors when students need the help the most,
[[Page H6191]]
including Clayton County students to pursue their education and their
dreams.
One self-employed volunteer at Lovejoy Middle School works while
students are in class, and takes breaks throughout the day to monitor
hallways and classrooms. That's a father.
Another volunteer, a wounded veteran from the war in Iraq, not only
sacrificing his life in Iraq, where he was wounded, but he comes back
home in Clayton County, Georgia, and walks the halls of Adamson Middle
School with a cane. What a sight. These are heroes. No greater role
model could we find than this wounded veteran who was wounded in Iraq,
but comes back to help shape the lives of our young people in school.
He came so that he may assist the faculty in ensuring good discipline
among the students. I am so honored, I am so full, I am overflowing up
here today to know these fathers are making the ultimate difference in
our communities and in my district. These men are not just fathers to
individual students. They are dads to the children who lack the
involvement of a father in their lives. The expansion of this program
to elementary and high school underscores the success to reach out and
encourage the involvement of fathers both inside the school and out.
In closing, I want to also note that many children from single-parent
families are doing well. They are succeeding. But just think what it
would be if they had both parents there, if they had been raised to be
upstanding and successful members of our community. By passing this
legislation today, we will show our support for the important roles
that fathers, as well as mothers, play in preparing future generations
in this country.
Honor thy father and thy mother so that thy days will be long in the
land. We are doing that in Congress today, with extraordinary
important, meaningful, and significant legislation.
Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Mr. Speaker, listening to Mr. Scott talk about the importance of
fathers and mothers in the family and the home and the children, I
can't any longer resist reflecting through the generation and what this
means to me as we discuss this bill that will encourage the special
attention to flying the flag on Father's Day.
All of us, each of us has a father. We don't always get to know that
father, but I certainly got to know mine. There is hardly a day that
goes by that I don't think of him.
I know that there is never a day that goes by that his influence on
me doesn't show up in me in something that I do. I look at the
grandfathers that I have known. I had the privilege of knowing one of
my grandfathers. I watched the message that came from them, the work
ethic and the history, and to sit on his knee and to listen to him tell
me about his father and his grandfather and the relation of the
families and about how far it goes back and rooted into the settlers
that came across the country, the pioneers.
My grandfather on my mother's side was sent at a young age, about 13
years old, to go from Indiana to Iowa, to go work on a farm that had
only daughters and no sons. What little bit of pay that he got, even at
that young age, he had to send back to Indiana. Then when he needed a
pair of shoes, he had to write a letter and ask, can I have some money,
I need a pair of shoes.
Well, he was a smart young man, and he married the farmer's daughter,
and another generation began. That farmer's daughter and that fellow,
of course, that young man, were the parents to my mother.
But on my father's side, my father taught me some things that I think
have been invaluable in my life. He was the one that always challenged
me. Every evening we sat down, all our life was about like the book
``Fun with Dick and Jane.'' Every evening we sat down at the supper
table, and Dad carried the conversation. It was either about his day at
work, or it was about current events, and then sometimes and oftentimes
it was the same thing, given his job. He was the one that taught me to
be intellectually honest.
First, you listened before you spoke, and you looked for an
opportunity, and the amount of seniority you had in the family and
credibility gave you a little bit more opportunity to speak. But if you
spoke, and you could not support the statement that you made, he would
be there to challenge you on what do you support that statement with.
Why can you make a statement like that when these are the
countervailing facts?
So, from a young age, one of the most important things my father
taught me was to be intellectually honest and expect to be challenged
if you are not intellectually honest.
On one of those occasions we began a discussion of whether you can
convert watts to horsepower. We had a debate going on, an argument
going on, that lasted for 3 days. Every night at supper, I would start
that debate up again.
Then I went to the school library and went through a book and finally
found the equation that showed how to do the math between watts and
horsepower. I snuck that book down to the supper table, marked it, set
it on my knees throughout supper. Then when we finished eating and the
conversation began, we went into that discussion again.
When I got him just to the right point in the conversation that I
could win the debate, I pulled out the book, opened it up to the
formula and said here, so many watts equals horsepower. I thought I had
the argument won. But I had not been apparently intellectually honest
enough, because he said, that's not what I am talking about. Horsepower
is mechanical power, watts is electrical power, and you can't equate
the two. I learned a real important lesson there as well, but time
after time, day after day, the important values of hard work and ethics
and integrity and telling the truth and knowing that when I looked him
in the eye he knew what was in my mind and he knew what was in my soul.
Even when I watch my hands work today, they are the hands of my
father doing that work. When I come here to work here in this Congress,
I know that I just don't represent the 600,000 people in my district,
which is a profound thing and a tremendous honor to be able to do that,
but all of us are the legacy of our fathers and mothers, the work ethic
that they taught us, the values that they taught us. We are what has
come through that crucible. We are the representatives of the
generations.
{time} 1445
And to be those representatives, we can thank two people in our lives
more than any others, and that's our fathers and our mothers. And I
think that came through Mr. Scott's discussion here very well, and I
appreciate that that's in the record and we had the opportunity to hear
that. I wanted to add some of those words from my side of this as well.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to join the gentleman
from Iowa in giving special recognition to our colleague, Mr. Tiahrt of
Kansas, who has also worked on this issue and is sponsoring similar
legislation. This really is a remarkable bipartisan effort.
Mr. Speaker, this is simple, yet sensible legislation to accord equal
honor to fathers as to mothers in the statutory guidance on flying our
Nation's flag on special days of the year. I urge my colleagues to
support it.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R.
2356, which amends title 4 of the United States Code to encourage the
display of the flag of the United States on Father's Day.
Unfortunately, our flag code does not include Father's Day in the list
of important occasions. H.R. 2356 rectifies this oversight by including
Father's Day, among the important holidays on which Americans are
encouraged to fly the American flag.
Father's Day in USA is celebrated with great enthusiasm and lot of
fanfare on third Sunday of June. In observing this day, people reflect
on the invaluable role played by fathers in building the character of
children and in the development of the Nation. On Father's Day we honor
our fathers and express gratitude for their love and affection.
It is a wonderful idea to raise the American flag on Father's Day,
and allow it to symbolize the hard work and dedication of our fathers.
The benefits of a father's influence are well documented. School
achievements in children may be negatively effected in the absence of a
good father-child relationship. Father influence can affect the choice
of occupations, preferred school subjects, and role development of
their children. Clearly, the father can greatly impact the lives of his
children.
[[Page H6192]]
For all of these reasons, we should honor American fathers by
amending the flag code to include Father's Day on the list of important
observances.
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2356.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. BALDWIN. 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.
____________________