[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 12745-12746]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              FATHER'S DAY

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, we have all heard the story about the 
visiting room in prisons that are packed on Mother's Day but empty on 
Father's Day.
  This simple story illustrates the oftentimes unrecognized power of 
fatherhood as a force for the good in the lives of our children. In 
fact, almost three-fourths of means-tested welfare aid goes to children 
in homes without fathers. Children without fathers are more likely to 
become involved in crimes, fail in school, abuse drugs, and end up on 
welfare as adults.
  Children raised in household structures without fathers are subject 
to significantly increased risks of harm. Social science overwhelmingly 
demonstrates that children do far better when they are raised by two 
married parents in a stable family relationship.
  So this weekend we honor our Nation's fathers, and we should do so 
with the understanding of the enormous, yet sometimes silent and almost 
unrecognized impact that our fathers make on society at large.
  As a society, we should recognize that we undervalue fathers at our 
peril. We should honor our fathers. I know I honor mine. Thank you, 
dad.

[[Page 12746]]



                          ____________________