[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4454-H4456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1400
                  RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS OF FATHERS

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1389) recognizing the immeasurable 
contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, 
supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement 
of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1389

       Whereas fathers factor significantly in the lives of 
     children;
       Whereas fathers play an important role in teaching their 
     children life lessons and preparing them to succeed in school 
     and in life;
       Whereas children with involved fathers are more likely to 
     do well in school, have a better sense of well-being, and 
     have fewer behavioral problems;
       Whereas supportive fathers promote the positive physical, 
     social, emotional, moral, and mental development of children;
       Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood can help increase 
     the chances that children will grow up with two caring 
     parents;
       Whereas, when fathers are actively involved in the 
     upbringing of children, the children demonstrate greater 
     self-control and a greater ability to take initiative;
       Whereas responsible fatherhood can help reduce child 
     poverty;
       Whereas responsible fatherhood strengthens families and 
     communities; 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 a 
     wonderful, caring parent for their children;
       (2) calls on fathers across the United States 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 mental, moral, social, academic, emotional, physical, 
     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 gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 
1389 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1389, to 
honor and celebrate Father's Day this Sunday and to recognize the 
involvement of our Nation's fathers in their children's lives. This 
resolution recognizes the special bond between father and child by 
celebrating the significant and positive impacts a present, supportive, 
and involved father has on their child and the entire family.
  Every year on the third Sunday in June, families across the country 
take time out to celebrate the dad in the family. New fathers and 
experienced fathers alike are honored for the hard work and deep love 
it takes to be a supportive father. Whether it be through a home-cooked 
meal, a card, or even a simple phone call, we stop once a year to thank 
fathers for everything they do in our lives.
  Unfortunately, 25 million children in America today are living apart 
from their biological fathers. This means that one out of every three 
children grow up without their biological father present in their 
lives.
  Fathers play a significant and influential role in their child's 
development. When supportive fathers are involved in their children's 
lives, their children are more likely to enjoy learning, earn better 
grades, and participate in extracurricular activities. We celebrate the 
fathers who are positive role models for their children.
  By commemorating the hard work and dedication of fathers on Father's 
Day, we encourage responsible fatherhood and happy, successful, and 
stronger families and communities.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1389, 
recognizing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the healthy 
development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and 
encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their 
children, especially on Father's Day, and really on every day.
  Children with involved, caring fathers have improved educational 
outcomes compared with children whose fathers are absent. A number of 
studies suggest that fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful 
with their infants have children with higher IQs, as well as better 
linguistic and cognitive capacities. Toddlers with involved fathers go 
on to start school with higher levels of academic readiness. They are 
more patient and can handle the stresses and frustrations associated 
with schooling more readily than children with less involved fathers.
  The influence of a father's involvement on academic achievement 
extends into adolescence and young adulthood. For instance, a U.S. 
Department of Education study found that highly involved biological 
fathers had children who were 43 percent more likely than other 
children to earn mostly As and 33 percent less likely than other 
children to repeat a grade.
  Fathers play a significant role in shaping the character of their 
children. By spending time with their sons and daughters, being stern 
yet fair disciplinarians, and listening to their experiences, fathers 
mold and shape children into the men and women they will become. They 
instill important values and prepare their children for the challenges 
and opportunities ahead by demonstrating true leadership.
  On Father's Day and every day, we honor our fathers and celebrate the

[[Page H4455]]

special bond between a father and a child. I rise today in support of 
this resolution and ask my colleagues to do the same.
  I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from east 
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for 
yielding me this time.
  I come in support of this resolution because of a very meaningful 
time that I spent as a judge in Tennessee. I spent 7 and a half years 
as a criminal court judge before coming to Congress, trying the felony 
criminal cases, the most serious cases. I've never forgotten that the 
first day I was a judge, Gary Tullock, the chief probation counselor 
for 16 counties in east Tennessee, told me that 98 percent of the 
defendants in felony cases came from what he referred to as broken 
homes. He was not exactly right on that. It was not quite 98 percent, 
but it was well over 90 percent that came from father-absent 
households, and that's the key.
  I went through over 10,000 cases in the time that I was judge because 
97 or 98 percent of the people in felony cases in criminal court plead 
guilty and then apply for probation, and I would get 8- or 10- or 12-
page reports into their family and work background and so forth. And 
every day for 7 and a half years, I would read, Defendant's father left 
home when defendant was 2 and never returned; defendant's father left 
home to get a pack of cigarettes and never came back. When you read 
that thousands of times over several years, it really makes an 
impression.
  I know that many wonderful and many outstanding people have come from 
broken homes and even from father-absent households, but it's an 
amazing statistic that the gentlewoman from California gave a few 
minutes ago when she said that one out of every three children in 
America are living apart from their biological fathers now.
  We need to get a message across some way, especially to the young men 
of this country, that marriage is very, very important and that the 
role of fatherhood is very, very important and that it is harmful to a 
great many young people when a father leaves and removes himself from 
the raising of a child. A child is really blessed to have two loving 
parents, and certainly we all know and appreciate the very, very 
important role of mothers, but the role of fathers is important as well 
and not just for young men.
  I have read in the past that many prostitutes and many women who get 
in trouble have had abusive or very negative or bad relationships with 
their fathers. So it's important to young girls as well, but it is 
especially important to young boys.
  The root of the crime problem in this country is father-absent 
households. Drugs and alcohol are involved in most crimes, but they are 
secondary to the problem of father-absent households. Where fathers 
have left the lives, we need to encourage mothers to get boys into Boy 
Scouts or find other good male role models within the family or within 
the neighborhood, and we need to encourage more men to teach in 
elementary schools and lead Boy Scout troops and do things like that 
because, unfortunately, millions of young boys are growing up without a 
good male role model in their lives.
  I remember several years ago driving to the airport one Friday 
afternoon after we had finished our session, and there had been a 
school shooting out in I think Oregon. They had the national head of 
the YMCA on the national CBS news, and he said children are being 
neglected in this country like never before. I hope that's not true, 
but that is what he said. And it is a growing problem, and this 
resolution I hope will call attention to the great importance of 
fathers in the lives of their children, especially as we approach 
Father's Day.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from 
Pennsylvania, Joe Pitts.
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1389, and I 
commend my colleague Mr. McIntyre for sponsoring this resolution.
  We often hear about deadbeat and delinquent dads. So it's easy to 
forget that millions of dads across America are striving to be good 
husbands and positive role models for their kids. It is important for 
us to recognize those dads and the tremendous importance of promoting 
fatherhood in America.
  There's no denying the invaluable role that a father plays in a 
child's life. We all know that children with involved and loving 
fathers have a significant advantage. They tend to perform better in 
school, to have a healthy self-esteem, to 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 is not a partisan issue, and I'm glad that Republicans and 
Democrats are joining together on this bipartisan effort to honor 
responsible fatherhood. Small communities across our country rely on 
the work of families to keep our neighborhoods strong. Churches, 
community service clubs, and school boards should remember how critical 
fathers are in creating stable families and, therefore, stable 
communities.
  I urge my colleagues to recognize the importance of fatherhood and to 
support this resolution, H. Res. 1389, today.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the resolution before us, 
have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I personally have the great privilege to 
have raised two sons, Ed Critchett and Michael Woolsey, and I have a 
son-in-law, Mark Pauline, who are the most wonderful fathers on this 
earth. I am so proud of them, and I just thought I'd take this moment 
right now to be able to express that.
  Their children, my grandchildren, Teddy and Julia, Jake-Eddie, Carlo 
and Luca are great kids, but they are all the better because they have 
such great dads.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1389, 
honoring and celebrating Father's Day and recognizing the involvement 
of our Nation's fathers in their children's lives.
  With that, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre).
  (Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1389, 
a resolution that recognizes the immeasurable contributions of fathers 
in the healthy development of children, supports responsible 
fatherhood, and encourages greater involvement of fathers in the lives 
of their children, especially with the celebration of Father's Day 
coming up this weekend.
  On June 20, our Nation will celebrate the special place that fathers 
have in our country. From helping with homework to playing ball to 
reading a book to offering advice and support or to just listening and 
spending time with children, each and every day fathers of all ages 
contribute to the mental, moral, spiritual, and physical development of 
children, teenagers and, yes, adults.
  According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, children with 
involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in 
school, have a healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and good behavior, 
and avoid high-risk activities, such as drug use and even criminal 
activity.
  H. Res. 1389 recognizes the commitment of fathers and the wonderful 
work that both parents do on behalf of their kids, and I encourage my 
colleagues to join us as we all recommit ourselves to being the best 
fathers that we can be and honoring our fathers and grandfathers 
everywhere.
  In conclusion, I would like to publicly thank my own father, Dr. 
Douglas C. McIntyre, for the great example he has been to me throughout 
my life and for the dedication and support he has shown in my every 
endeavor. Indeed, may we all intend and exemplify the type of example 
that we would want our own children to one day exhibit when they may 
have that opportunity to be a father.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask for a ``yes'' vote on this important bill.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my support for H. Res. 
1389, and for fathers across the Nation. Nearly 50 years ago, Daniel 
Patrick Moynihan warned that, ``. . . A community that allows a large 
number of

[[Page H4456]]

young men to grow up in broken families . . . never acquiring any 
stable relationship to male authority, never acquiring any rational 
expectations about the future--that community asks for and gets 
chaos.'' Moynihan's words hold a prophetic ring as we look at society 
today.
  Fathers play a critical role in the development of their children, 
positively influencing everything from academic performance to mental 
and physical health. Children who do not live with both parents are 
more likely to repeat a grade, have lower grades, be diagnosed with a 
mental illness, experience drug or alcohol abuse problems, and commit 
violent crimes.
  I do not mean to imply that those who grow up without both parents 
are doomed to failure, nor am I suggesting that children from two-
parent homes are guaranteed success. But the presence of fathers in the 
lives of their children does have benefits that cannot be denied. This 
Congress, and America as a whole, are right to take time to honor the 
men who took responsibility for their actions, who invest in the lives 
of their children, who sacrifice their own wants and desires for the 
sake of future generations. So I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting H. Res. 1389 as it is considered today.
  I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation 
for the sacrifices made by my own father, Wilbur Tiahrt. His 
sacrificial leadership, during his service in the Army Air Corps during 
World War II, and as a father and husband has provided a tremendous 
example for me and my siblings. I am grateful for the blessing that he 
has been to me and my family, and each Father's Day, I am reminded of 
how fortunate I am to still have him with me.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 1389, ``Recognizing the immeasurable contributions of 
fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible 
fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives 
of their children, especially on Father's Day.''
  This resolution commends the millions of fathers who serve as 
wonderful, caring parents for their children. It simultaneously calls 
on fathers across the United States (1) reconnect and rededicate 
themselves to their children's lives; and (2) express their love and 
support for their children, not only on Father's Day, but everyday.
  Fathers all over the United States are involved in their children's 
lives in multitude ways that go beyond the traditional roles of 
economic provider. Fathers are also involved by having direct contact 
with their children, engagement; making themselves available to their 
children even when they are not in physical contact, accessibility; and 
taking responsibility for their children's care and welfare, again 
regardless of physical proximity, responsibility. For this reason and 
many others, I salute the millions of fathers who have embraced the 
attributes of fatherhood.
  However, this piece of legislation also recognizes the need for 
fathers to take there place in their children's lives and become more 
involved. The statistics on children without an active father in their 
lives are alarming:
  63 percent of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (U.S. 
Department Of Health/Census)--5 times the average
  90 percent of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless 
homes--32 times the average
  85 percent of all children who show behavior disorders come from 
fatherless homes--20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)
  80 percent of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless 
homes--14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)
  71 percent of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes--9 
times the average. (National Principals Association Report)
  75 percent of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come 
from fatherless homes--10 times the average. (Rainbows for All God's 
Children)
  70 percent of youths in State-operated institutions come from 
fatherless homes--9 times the average. (U.S. Department of Justice, 
Sept. 1988)
  85 percent of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes--20 
times the average. (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Department of Correction)
  Clearly, fathers represent a lot more than just a paycheck to a 
child; they represent safety, protection, guidance, friendship, and 
someone to look up to. This resolution urges men to understand the 
level of responsibility fathering a child requires, especially in the 
encouragement of the mental, moral, social, academic, emotional, 
physical, and spiritual development of children.
  In conclusion, not only is this issue imperative to the development 
of the future of America's youth, but also to the prosperity of the 
country as a whole. I am diligently seeking ways to bring families back 
together and this resolution can be the catalyze to promote such unity; 
by promoting fathers who already exemplify these qualities.
  I must pay tribute to my own father Ezra C. Jackson. I thank him for 
being a father to my brother Michael and me. For also being a 
grandfather to our children. He was God-fearing, funny and a great 
mentor to young men who were not his children. Thank you Dad for being 
in my life, although you are no longer with us--your guidance will 
always be appreciated.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to congratulate 
Congressman McIntyre as the author of this piece of legislation.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1389.
  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. WOOLSEY. 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 motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________