[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5448]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF A NATIONAL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DAY

  Ms WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 62), supporting the goals and 
ideals of a National Children and Families Day, in order to encourage 
adults in the United States to support and listen to children and to 
help children throughout the Nation achieve their hopes and dreams, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 62

       Whereas research shows that spending time together as a 
     family is critical to raising strong and resilient kids;
       Whereas strong healthy families improve the quality of life 
     and the development of children;
       Whereas it is essential to celebrate and reflect upon the 
     important role that all families play in the lives of 
     children and their positive effect for the Nation's future;
       Whereas the fourth Saturday of June is a day set aside to 
     recognize the importance of children and families; and
       Whereas the country's greatest natural resource is its 
     children: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That Congress supports the goals and ideals of 
     a National Children and Families Day.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.

                              {time}  1530

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, the most sacred institution of our society 
is that of the family. And within the family, its most precious asset, 
and that is its children. I stand before you today asking that my 
colleagues support me in establishing a National Children and Families 
Day.
  President Bush has stated that, ``Families instill in our children 
values; they shape character and are the foundation of a hopeful 
society.'' These are the goals for which we strive on National Children 
and Families Day. It is the intent of the National Children and 
Families Day to emphasize the importance of loving and stable 
relationships between parents, communities and children.
  I once heard a teacher ask her class, What is the greatest Nation in 
the world? As the students muttered the names of countries worldwide, 
she pointed to her head and said, Imagination.
  Through National Children and Families Day, I wish to cultivate and 
encourage the active imaginations of children, for we know that from 
creative and innovative thinking comes the ability to hope and dream 
for a brighter future.
  Creating an environment that instills important values and builds 
strong character and provides sound education for our children is a 
vital national priority. With a firm foundation, children will be 
better able to face the challenges of the future.
  As a legislator, I often find myself thinking of the countless 
children I represent whom I view as future voting constituents. And I 
think of how the policies we enact today could hinder or empower them 
10, 15 or 20 years from now.
  This, Mr. Speaker, is why I urge my colleagues to support National 
Children and Families Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, with so many distractions in our lives today, it is 
important to take a step back to acknowledge the central role that 
families play in the development of our Nation's youth. This resolution 
celebrates those aspects found in a positive family atmosphere which 
promotes healthy and well-adjusted young men and women.
  It is true that the children are our future, and the strength of our 
country has been and will continue to be built on families providing 
educational, social, ethical and moral guidance to our children.
  The devotion of time is one of the most important things we can do to 
help maintain a positive family environment. And while it may be 
difficult to find time in our hectic schedules, things as simple as 
playing with educational toys, reading together or visiting an age-
appropriate museum will stimulate a child's curiosity that will be 
beneficial throughout their lives.
  Also, something as easy as slowing down enough to take the time to 
listen to one another, maybe by having dinner as a family whenever 
possible is a time tested way to nurture a child through family 
participation during their formative years.
  Young people are increasingly exposed to the stress and pressures of 
our modern society. In order to combat these negative influences, we 
must take it upon ourselves, as a society, to expose young people to 
loving and supporting families whenever possible. As an example, doing 
a community service project as a family is one of the many ways to 
teach children that to build a community and to thrive as a society, we 
should all share in assisting one another.
  National Children and Families Day provides us an opportunity to 
recognize our responsibility to create family environments that nurture 
the next generation and to promote a positive environment for families 
across America.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 62.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Con. Res. 62, which supports the goals and ideals of National Children 
and Families Day. The purpose of H. Con. Res. 62 is to encourage adults 
to listen to children and to help children throughout the Nation 
achieve their hopes and dreams, and for other purposes.
  As Chair of the Children's Caucus, I strongly believe that we must 
continue creating positive and effective support systems for our 
children so that they will become healthy, productive citizens. To do 
this, we must ensure that all of our children have access to quality 
education and healthcare. We must also give quality time to our 
children.
  Mr. Speaker, National Children and Families Day encourages parents to 
spend time with their children and to spend time together around the 
dinner table.
  Our young children are increasingly facing monumental challenges such 
as drug and alcohol addiction, pregnancy, depression, and obesity. We 
must invest the time and money in the necessary resources needed to 
help our children combat these challenges. I recently hosted a 
briefing, ``Childhood Obesity: Factors that are Impacting the 
Disproportionate Prevalence in Low-Income and Minority Communities,'' 
to discuss the causes of, and search for solutions to the childhood 
obesity epidemic. Eating dinner at the dinner table with parents is one 
of the suggested ways children may develop healthier eating habits.
  According to research by The National Center on Addiction and 
Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, the more often children 
eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, 
drink or use drugs. The research suggested that the conversations that 
go hand-in-hand with dinner will help parents learn more about their 
children's lives and better understand the challenges they face.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 62 
to support the goals and ideals of a National Children and Families 
Day.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, 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. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 62.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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