[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2896-S2897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 773--RECOGNIZING FATHER'S DAY AND THE ROLE A FATHER 
               PLAYS IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS

  Mrs. MOODY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 773

       Whereas Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of 
     June and will be celebrated in the United States on Sunday, 
     June 21, 2026;
       Whereas fathers play an important role in the lives of 
     their children by improving their--
       (1) emotional well-being;
       (2) social well-being;
       (3) educational success; and
       (4) economic well-being;
       Whereas children with present or engaged fathers are--
       (1) less likely to repeat a grade;
       (2) more likely to enter college or find stable employment 
     after high school;
       (3) less likely to go to jail;
       (4) less likely to experience a teen birth; and
       (5) less likely to experience mental health disorders;
       Whereas children without present or engaged fathers--
       (1) represent the vast majority of runaway children;
       (2) represent the vast majority of juveniles in State-
     operated institutions;
       (3) are more likely to have children outside of marriage or 
     partnership;
       (4) are more likely to be involved in gangs; and
       (5) are much more likely to live in poverty;
       Whereas the genuine love of a father is irreplaceable, and 
     the positive outcomes generated by the love and support of a 
     father prove both the irreplaceable role a father fills and 
     the responsibility fathers have in caring for their children 
     and families: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges the importance of efforts by fathers to 
     engage and to provide continuous physical and emotional 
     support to children and families;
       (2) acknowledges that sustained engagement by a father 
     throughout the life of a child is a privileged responsibility 
     that fulfills the father as much as the child; and
       (3) wishes all fathers and father figures in the United 
     States a happy Father's Day.
  Mrs. MOODY. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the Presiding 
Officer as a father and so many others that this weekend will be 
celebrated as part of our Nation's day of celebration of all of our 
fathers here in our country. This is especially meaningful to me 
because I think it is so important to highlight a group of very special 
individuals that have played such a large role in my life. And I know 
everyone here today, including the pages that help us out, is going to 
be spending the weekend celebrating their fathers too, as they should.
  Dads play an indelible role in our lives, and I am proud to be 
married to a great dad. In fact, when I became the attorney general of 
the great free State of Florida, I had a young child at home, and my 
husband, who is a true hero, a hero dad--he is a career law enforcement 
officer--really stepped up. Our entire family was involved in that 
effort when I served.

[[Page S2897]]

  Just to illustrate, when I became the attorney general, I was the 
first mom of a school-age child on the Florida cabinet. So I really 
relied on my incredible husband Justin--and what an amazing dad.
  Just to illustrate, I wanted to put up a picture of my family at the 
time--my young son--when I became the attorney general, and without 
their support, we wouldn't have done all that we did to protect the 
great State, strengthen our communities, and make it the free State of 
Florida that it is today.
  My husband Justin works long hours as a law enforcement officer, as 
you can see. More recently, when I became a U.S. Senator, he is still 
waking up every day, being a dad first and foremost but then putting on 
a badge and a bulletproof vest and going to work to protect others 
while he supports everybody else in the community as much as he 
supports those of us at home.
  I just have to say I know I am not alone as a mom that wants to 
praise the dad in her life. In fact, the first celebration of Father's 
Day in 1910 was spurred on and founded by a mom. She had just become a 
mom--her name was Sonora Smart Dodd--and she recognized after hearing a 
Mother's Day sermon that she thought we should give something that was 
just as emphatic and passionate to support our dads. So it was a mom 
that launched and initiated the first Father's Day recognition back in 
1910.
  So it is an honor for me, as one of the very few moms of a kid under 
18 in the U.S. Senate, to be the one to recognize Father's Day this 
upcoming weekend and introduce a resolution recognizing Father's Day 
and the role that fathers play in the lives of children and adults. I 
have introduced that for the Record, and it is an honor to do so.
  I remember so many times when my law enforcement husband would go 
away for extended periods of time--whether it was to become a firearms 
instructor with the DEA or when he went to the National Academy at 
Quantico for months--he would come home--fly late at night--to make 
sports games or to help with homework.
  I know all fathers around the Nation give 110 percent to their kids, 
and as Father's Day approaches, I wanted the U.S. Senate to recognize 
how important having good fathers in children's lives is.
  I was so proud of my own State when I was attorney general and we 
passed the Responsible Dad Act, which provided mentoring, one-on-one 
support, and evidence-based educational programming to help enhance 
parenting skills and help fathers stay actively involved in their kids 
lives.
  I am so proud of the Senate. Just today--and I know the Presiding 
Officer joins me in this--on the HELP Committee, we passed out 
legislation just today, before I came in here, as part of the Healthy 
Start Reauthorization Act that supports dads being involved in their 
kids' lives. It also supports mentoring, a dad initiative, and we know 
that is so important for our young kids to develop into healthy, 
independent adults.
  So I recognize my own benefit from having a father that was engaged. 
He showed me how to live a life of service professionally. I have also 
benefited from having father figures in my extended family that have 
played a large role in my success in life, and I will always be 
grateful.
  With that, I thank the Presiding Officer for permitting me time to 
introduce the resolution to recognize this weekend as Father's Day and 
to say thank you and to give encouragement to the fathers across our 
country that will raise the next generation of leaders that will guide 
our country for the next 250 years.

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