[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5436-H5437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF MOTHER'S DAY

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 388) celebrating the role of mothers in the United 
States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 388

       Whereas Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of 
     each May;
       Whereas the first official Mother's Day was observed on May 
     10, 1908, in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia, 
     Pennsylvania;
       Whereas 2009 is the 101st anniversary of the first official 
     Mother's Day observation;
       Whereas in 1908, Elmer Burkett, a U.S. senator from 
     Nebraska, proposed making Mother's Day a national holiday;
       Whereas in 1914, Congress passed a resolution designating 
     the second Sunday of May as Mother's Day;
       Whereas it is estimated that there are more than 82,000,000 
     mothers in the United States;
       Whereas mothers have made immeasurable contributions toward 
     building strong families, thriving communities, and 
     ultimately a strong Nation;
       Whereas the services rendered to the children of the United 
     States by their mothers have strengthened and inspired the 
     Nation throughout its history;
       Whereas we honor ourselves and mothers in the United States 
     when we revere and emphasize the importance of the role of 
     the home and family as the true foundation of the Nation;
       Whereas mothers continue to rise to the challenge of 
     raising their families with love, understanding, and 
     compassion, while overcoming the challenges of modern 
     society; and
       Whereas May 10, 2009, is recognized as Mother's Day: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives celebrates the 
     role of mothers in the United States and supports the goals 
     and ideals of Mother's Day.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Fortenberry) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, there are fewer great honors, I think, in Congress than 
to stand in support of this bill which affirms the goals of Mother's 
Day and celebrates the role of mothers in the United States. I first 
would like to thank Mr. Fortenberry, the gentleman from Nebraska, for 
his courage in going out on a limb here and introducing this 
legislation. I would also like to commend Chairman Towns and my 
colleagues on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
for bringing this resolution to the floor by unanimous consent in their 
infinite wisdom.
  On Sunday, we celebrated the 101st Mother's Day. It may come as a 
surprise to some, particularly our own mothers, that it took our 
country over 130 years to officially designate a day praising 
motherhood. Nevertheless, it is important to annually pause and recall 
that our lives and our country's history would have been much different 
but for the contributions of our mothers to our families and to our 
country.
  I would not presume, nor am I brave enough, to speak on behalf of 
America's 82 million mothers; instead, I would simply like to speak to 
their importance in shaping our society and our future.
  Mothers are indeed the backbone of the American family. With great 
love and compassion, they lay the foundation for all children to grow 
into honorable citizens. It is no stretch to say that our sustained 
national character of goodwill and moral strength is the result of 
dedicated motherhood.
  Many of our greatest national heroes attribute their own successes to 
the guidance of their mothers. While examples are numerous, I will 
quote President Abraham Lincoln who once said of his own angel mother, 
``I remember my mother's prayers, and they have always followed me. 
They have clung to me all my life.''
  I am sure that similar thanks and acknowledgements are appropriate 
for

[[Page H5437]]

the mothers of every American. I am sure of that.
  Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleagues would agree that it is 
inadequate to spend just 1 day a year celebrating the contributions of 
America's mothers, but as our small measure of gratitude, I urge this 
body to join its 56 cosponsors and agree to House Resolution 388.
  And I reserve our time.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for 
his poignant remarks about motherhood. We appreciate that. And, Mr. 
Speaker, I also have the pleasure of rising today to call attention to 
this time-honored celebration of Mother's Day.
  This past Sunday, I, along with millions of Americans, paused to 
uplift the women who have shaped our lives and our country because, as 
the House of Representatives declared in 1914, the service rendered to 
the United States by the American mother is the greatest source of the 
country's strength and inspiration. Mothers have been celebrated 
throughout history in many languages, religions, and cultures.
  Few traditions have withstood the test of time as the social 
celebration of motherhood. From its earliest roots in Egyptian society 
to our modern American holiday, the commemoration of mothers is 
timeless. On May 10, we celebrated the 101st anniversary of the first 
observance of the modern American Mother's Day when a woman from 
Grafton, West Virginia, named Anna M. Jarvis, held an observance in her 
mother's honor at St. Andrew's Methodist Church.
  Afterward, when the junior Senator from Nebraska, Elmer Burkett, rose 
before Congress in 1908 to propose the establishment of Mother's Day at 
the request of Ms. Jarvis and the Young Men's Christian Association, 
he, interestingly, was originally met with opposition due to 
sensitivities concerning the role of women in society and the role of 
the Federal Government in honoring them.
  It took until 1914, but Congress eventually passed a resolution 
declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. President Woodrow 
Wilson then issued a proclamation directing the flying of the flag as a 
``public expression of the love and reverence for the mothers of our 
country.''
  Mr. Speaker, we now honor all mothers for their immeasurable 
contribution to the very core of our society. Mothers sustain and 
strengthen our Nation through their leadership in the family and 
community. And despite the dynamics of modern society, the ability of 
mothers to meet the challenge of raising their families with love, 
understanding and compassion remains constant. As we commemorate 
mothers for the integral role they play in shaping the course of our 
Nation's past, present and future, we also revere and emphasize the 
importance of the role of the family and the home as the true and ever-
present foundation of our country.
  Mr. Speaker, some may question why Congress is considering this 
matter at all, but I would like to say that each day here we tirelessly 
debate the challenges and nuances of modernity becoming mired in such a 
dizzying array of interventions that it is easy to lose sight of our 
ever-enduring core values. We don't often take the time to reflect on 
the essential philosophical foundations that have guided this Nation 
through many turbulent times, so I think it is refreshing that we now 
take time to pause and consider a resolution such as this that is 
timeless.
  So I encourage my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to join in support of this 
resolution today honoring the 101st celebration of the modern Mother's 
Day.
  And with that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I join and support the gentleman's words.
  We have no further speakers on our side at this time, so I will 
continue to reserve.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so 
I will yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I just want to ask all Members 
to join with Mr. Fortenberry, the gentleman from Nebraska, in support 
of this resolution.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 388 ``Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and 
supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day.'' I would like to 
thank my distinguished colleague Representative Fortenberry from 
Nebraska for introducing this resolution, and today, I rise today in 
order to recognize and celebrate all of the mothers in our nation.
  Mothers are the nurturers, and caregivers that prepare our Nation's 
young for the challenges that life may hold. Their work may be inside 
or outside of the home, or both, and their contributions to this 
society can never be fully appreciated or valued. Jane Sellman 
definitely hit the needle on the head when she said, ``The phrase 
`working mother' is redundant.''
  Our mothers are our first teachers and they should be celebrated 
everyday. However, like many things we can take them for granted. This 
Mothers Day, take a moment to call your mother or to visit with her if 
you can. I must pay special tribute to my mother Ivalita Jackson and my 
late aunt Valrie Bennett who was like a mom.
  Remember that being a mom is no easy feat. Our mothers are strong, 
determined, with big hearts and always loving. A mother must be able to 
juggle three things at once and still manage to make dinner and read 
bedtime stories. No doctor can take away all the ailments of a sick 
child or even an adult for that matter, like a mother can. Mothers are 
caring and courageous women who make a difference in the lives they 
touch. As the Jewish proverb says, ``God could not be everywhere and 
therefore he made mothers.''
  Mother's Day is also a celebration for grandmothers, mother-in-laws, 
stepmothers, foster mothers, godmothers, mothers who take in children, 
mothers who adopt, those who act as mothers, for those women who have 
no relations by blood but who give the gift of mothering to children.
  Mothers bring a unique and valuable perspective to all aspects of 
American life. Today, thousands of mothers in this country have become 
active and effective participants in public life and public service, 
promoting change and improving the quality of life for men, women, and 
children throughout the Nation. They serve with distinction as 
legislators, mayors, judges, doctors, lawyers, and administrators, and 
their impact in these areas has proved to be monumental.
  I could not find words descriptive enough to fully express the depth 
of admiration that I feel for women who fill this important role in our 
society. They are committed to their families and community not for 
public acclaim, but for love. As American author Washington Irving put 
it best, ``A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and 
sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; 
when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when 
trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by 
her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and 
cause peace to return to our hearts.''
  My heart goes out to those mothers with children who are away at war, 
I cannot even imagine the fear that they must feel daily. I want to 
recognize the First Lady, Michelle Obama, who is striking a balance 
between motherhood and her duties as the First Lady. I want to 
congratulate and praise all of the mothers in America for all of their 
hard work. Another former First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis once 
said, ``If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever 
else you do well matters very much.''
  I hope that we can all reflect on all the sacrifices our mothers made 
for us throughout the years. A mother's love is unending and her arms 
are always open. This resolution will ensure that Mothers throughout 
this nation are formally recognized, and the United States House of 
Representatives will acknowledge their importance and all that Mothers 
contribute to our society. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 388 
as well. There are few things more important than celebrating the gift 
of having a mother. Finally to my mom--I love you for giving me my 
foundation.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 388.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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