[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 105 (Thursday, June 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2126-S2127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 256--RECOGNIZING FATHER'S DAY AND THE ROLE OF FATHER 
 ENGAGEMENT IN IMPROVING THE OVERALL HEALTH AND LIFE OUTCOMES FOR BOTH 
                          THE MOTHER AND BABY

  Mr. WARNOCK (for himself, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Bennet, and Mr. Braun) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 256

       Whereas Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of 
     June and will be celebrated in the United States on Sunday, 
     June 18, 2023;
       Whereas increased father engagement can play an important 
     role in--
       (1) improving maternal health care;
       (2) addressing maternal mortality and morbidity in the 
     United States;
       (3) bettering the development of the child; and
       (4) the long-term growth of the child;
       Whereas research has found that supporting families 
     holistically and actively by including and engaging fathers 
     in all aspects of maternal health care, from preconception, 
     through pregnancy, and during the first-year postpartum, can 
     positively impact short term and long term health outcomes, 
     improving--
       (1) pregnancy and postpartum health, as when fathers are 
     involved and engaged, mothers are--
          (A) more likely to receive early and regular prenatal 
     care;
          (B) at reduced risk of perinatal mood and anxiety 
     disorders (referred to in this preamble as ``PMADs'');
          (C) less likely to smoke, drink, or misuse drugs during 
     the pregnancy and perinatal period;
          (D) more likely to eat well and take recommended 
     vitamins;
          (E) more likely to follow the recommendations of a 
     physician;
          (F) less likely to experience complications during 
     pregnancy and labor; and
          (G) more likely to have a healthy, safe birth, and more 
     likely to sustain breastfeeding; and
       (2) the health and well-being of the baby, including--
          (A) improving healthy development;
          (B) improving outcomes in school;
          (C) reducing rates of teen pregnancies;
          (D) reducing risk of substance use; and
          (E) improving future executive function;
       Whereas methods to empower fathers as advocates for both 
     mother and baby include--
       (1) addressing cultural beliefs about fatherhood and the 
     role of men in maternal health and families, especially 
     beliefs that discourage father participation;
       (2) peer-to-peer, father-to-father encouragement and 
     support;
       (3) involving fathers in prenatal and postpartum care;
       (4) providing fathers with information about what to expect 
     before, during, and after birth, and how a father can better 
     understand and support their partner, as well as to help the 
     mother and father bond together as a parenting team; and
       (5) educating and engaging fathers in conversations and 
     guidance about mental health, breastfeeding practices, health 
     care appointments, safe sleep, physical touch, and father-
     child bonding and early childhood development;
       Whereas 1 in 5 women experience a PMAD, with suicide being 
     the leading cause of preventable maternal deaths;
       Whereas the added support of father engagement reduces the 
     risks of PMADs and contributes to--
       (1) a lower chance of preterm birth; and
       (2) a healthier birth weight;
       Whereas the support of the father during pregnancy can help 
     promote cessation of smoking, drinking, and drug use in the 
     mother;
       Whereas father involvement during pregnancy has been linked 
     with a 36 percent reduction in smoking in a mother;
       Whereas increasing outreach for fathers to join group 
     prenatal care models and to attend prenatal and postnatal 
     appointments will help prepare both parents and create 
     opportunities for the parents to view pregnancy and parenting 
     as a team effort;
       Whereas evidence shows that when fathers are involved 
     during pregnancy appointments and milestones, mothers are 1.5 
     times more likely to receive prenatal care in the first 
     trimester, which improves health outcomes for both the mother 
     and baby;
       Whereas the participation of the father during prenatal 
     care appointments provides the mother with additional support 
     to recognize potential pregnancy-related complications that 
     could lead to maternal morbidity and mortality, such as--
       (1) preeclampsia;
       (2) preterm labor;
       (3) PMADs;
       (4) pregnancy loss or miscarriage;
       (5) stillbirth;
       (6) high blood pressure;
       (7) cervical infections;
       (8) gestational diabetes;
       (9) placental abruption;
       (10) ectopic pregnancy; and
       (11) uterine rupture;
       Whereas physical contact between the father and the baby 
     just after birth and in the months following birth has been 
     shown to support and improve the health and development of 
     the baby, improve the mental health of the father, and foster 
     father-child bonding in the short term and long term;
       Whereas studies show that engaging fathers in conversations 
     about safe sleep guidelines can help increase safe sleep and 
     reduce infant deaths;
       Whereas providing fathers with guidance about infant crying 
     and the risks of shaken baby syndrome can reduce infant 
     deaths;
       Whereas the active support of the father during 
     breastfeeding greatly increases the chances of sustained 
     breastfeeding, which improves the physical and mental health 
     of the baby and the mother;
       Whereas removing barriers to father engagement can 
     encourage greater involvement during pregnancy, delivery, and 
     parenthood, such as--
       (1) offering moderated father support groups and classes;
       (2) changing messaging about societal perceptions on the 
     role of the father in pregnancy and parenting; and
       (3) health care providers offering prenatal appointments 
     outside of regular work hours, through telehealth and through 
     take-home father-focused resources; and
       Whereas support from a warm and emotionally responsive 
     father improves the life and development of their child as 
     the child grows into adolescence, as the child--
       (1) is less emotionally reactive;
       (2) experiences less depression;
       (3) is less prone to mood and anxiety disorders; and
       (4) relates better with other children;
       Whereas the sustained involvement of a father with their 
     child to the age of 7 helps negate the risk of psychological 
     maladjustment;
       Whereas a trusting relationship between a caring father and 
     son will help the son grow into a strong father themselves;
       Whereas a litany of research relates positive outcomes with 
     increased father involvement with their child, including--
       (1) higher academic achievement;
       (2) better school readiness and performance;
       (3) higher self-esteem; and
       (4) greater social awareness;
       Whereas the involvement of a loving father in the life of a 
     16-year-old child predicts less psychological distress for 
     that child when they reach adulthood;
       Whereas 1,300 step families are formed every day and 1 out 
     of every 25 families with

[[Page S2127]]

     children have adopted a child, demonstrating a variety of 
     fatherhood experiences; and
       Whereas the genuine love of a father is irreplaceable, and 
     the positive externalities that coincide with the love of a 
     father prove both the power of genuine affection and the 
     responsibility fathers have in caring for their children: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the important role of fathers in increasing 
     positive maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal 
     mortality and morbidity;
       (2) acknowledges that father engagement efforts provide 
     continuous physical and emotional support, which can 
     contribute to healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries, and 
     successful postpartum recoveries;
       (3) acknowledges that sustained engagement by a father 
     throughout the life of their child is a privileged 
     responsibility that fulfills the father as much as the child; 
     and
       (4) wishes all fathers and father figures in the United 
     States a happy Father's Day.

                          ____________________