[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7222-7223]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND MORTICIAN RECOGNITION DAY

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 892) expressing support for designation of 
March 11, 2008, as ``National Funeral Director and Mortician 
Recognition Day,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 892

       Whereas the death of a family member, friend, or loved one 
     is a devastating emotional event;
       Whereas the memorialization and celebration of the 
     decedent's life is the fabric of today's funeral service;
       Whereas the family of the decedent has traditionally looked 
     to funeral directors and morticians for consolation, 
     strength, and guidance in the planning and implementation of 
     a funeral ceremony; and
       Whereas March 11, 2008, would be an appropriate day to 
     designate as ``National Funeral Director and Mortician 
     Recognition Day'' to pay tribute to these funeral directors 
     and morticians who, day in and day out, assist our Nation's 
     families in their times of sadness and grief and help 
     families mourn a death and celebrate a life: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the 
     designation of a ``National Funeral Director and Mortician 
     Recognition Day''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the fact that one of our 
colleagues, Representative Wilson who I am proud to say is from the 
State of Ohio, has a family-owned business and is a funeral director, I 
yield him such time as he may consume.
  Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Resolution 892 which I introduced to express the support for the 
establishment of the National Funeral Director and Mortician 
Recognition Day.
  I introduced this resolution because I know firsthand how funeral 
directors help families through the grieving process in a most 
difficult time.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a fourth generation funeral director in my family, 
and I know very well the profound service that funeral directors 
provide to their communities. Funeral directors are on call 24 hours a 
day, 365 days a year. When a family calls a funeral director to make 
arrangements for a recently deceased loved one, the funeral director 
must put everything else on hold and attend to the family's needs 
immediately.
  We all know that the death of a loved one can be emotionally 
devastating. Funeral directors play an essential role in giving 
families the space they need to navigate the grieving process. By 
taking care of all of the logistical arrangements, funeral directors 
allow families to celebrate the life of the recently departed and 
spending time together as a family.
  Funeral directors also provide a major public service by 
participating in planning for pandemic disease and other mass casualty 
events that could happen within their community. Because of their 
familiarity with the physical aspects of death, they provide invaluable 
technical knowledge and assistance to public officials who are 
responsible for contingency planning.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that funeral homes are also economic 
anchors of their community. The funeral business is often a family 
business with multiple generations serving the community as funeral 
directors. Through good economic times and bad, funeral directors are 
there to serve their families with caring compassion and certainly with 
strict integrity.
  As a lifelong funeral director, I know how important this service is 
to grieving families. This is why I think that it is proper that this 
Congress recognize the hard work and the sacrifice of thousands of 
funeral directors in this country by passing this bill. I thank 
Chairman Waxman for his support in this measure, and I urge the 
Congress to support it.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of this resolution 
expressing support for the designation of a National Funeral Director 
and Mortician Recognition Day. Mr. Speaker, I think it is critical that 
we recognize the service that our Nation's funeral directors and 
morticians provide at one of the most difficult times in a person's 
life. Death is something that affects us all. It sees no boundaries, 
nor does it discriminate among social or economic classes. It hits us 
all in different ways, but one thing is for certain: the time 
immediately following the death of a loved one is one of the most 
trying times for anyone. It is during this critical time that funeral 
directors and morticians from around the country provide our Nation's 
citizens with the support and guidance necessary to make the right 
decisions for their beloved ones.
  This allows for those who are grieving to concentrate on what is most 
important: supporting family and friends. Funeral directors and 
morticians have the arduous task of carrying out the final wishes of 
the deceased. They are involved in all details of the process, 
everything from arranging for pallbearers to making sure that the 
correct paperwork is completed to file for appropriate certificates 
with the State.
  They are tasked with demonstrating the same compassion with every 
family they meet, as if that family is the most important family that 
the funeral director has ever met.
  It is also important to recognize that most funeral homes are small, 
family-owned and operated facilities. These individuals work long, 
irregular hours and contribute to the economic well-being of 
communities around our Nation.

[[Page 7223]]

  Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I believe recognizing those in this caring 
community is long overdue. They are entrusted with the enormous task of 
making the last hours you will have with the earthly remains of loved 
ones as peaceful as possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in supporting this 
resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution. I am from 
Cleveland, Ohio, and all of us know in any community we are from, we 
come into contact with funeral directors and morticians. Funeral 
directors make it possible for families to be able to find a way to 
come to grips with a passing. Those transitions in life are very 
important moments for the survivors because we need help in being able 
to deal with a situation when we lose a loved one, and funeral 
directors perform a very valuable service.
  I know as someone who represents the people of Cleveland that when I 
go to pay my respects to someone who has passed, I have the opportunity 
not only to meet the families that are grieving and comfort them, but 
also to see the work that is being done by those who are directing the 
funeral. It is something that is easy to lose sight of when you are 
moving into territory that is laden with grief. But it is also 
something that is appropriate for us at this moment to pay tribute to 
because everyone who is involved in that work really has to achieve a 
level of sensitivity and compassion and caring so that they can help 
families deal with what for many is one of the most serious moments of 
their lives involving the passing of a loved one.
  I want to thank Representative Wilson for his choice of career and 
his family's commitment to providing that kind of compassionate service 
to people, and also my colleague, Representative Foxx, for supporting 
this bill.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I also thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. 
Wilson) for his service, and I urge all Members to support the passage 
of H. Res. 892.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Res. 892, a resolution that designates March 11 as 
``National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day.''
  Funeral directors and morticians are vitally important in helping 
families mourn death, celebrate a life, and begin the process of 
closure. They also give advice on the decisions one needs to make as a 
caretaker and as a provider of a funeral service. According to the 
Minnesota Funeral Directors Association, ``The funeral ritual is 
helpful and valuable for all who feel the loss of the deceased. It 
validates life and allows us to go on living. The ritual aspect is 
important for closure and social reasons. Attending the funeral allows 
us to deal with the loss, says goodbye, and reaffirms the importance of 
living.''
  Mayor Bill Sandberg of North Saint Paul, who died on April 20, 2007, 
was one of my mentors. He spent his career as a funeral director in the 
St. Paul area and was active in the Minnesota Funeral Directors 
Association and a Heritage Club member of the National Funeral 
Directors Association (NFDA). NFDA was established in 1882 in order to 
better serve the public and its members. Today, it is the oldest and 
largest national funeral service organization in the world.
  I want to thank funeral directors and morticians for their dedication 
to this profession and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. KUCINICH. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 892, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``Resolution expressing support 
for designation of a `National Funeral Director and Mortician 
Recognition Day' ''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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