[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 18523-18525]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             SUPPORTING NATIONAL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DAY

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 534) supporting the goals and ideals of 
``National Children and Families Day.''
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 534

       Whereas research shows that a supportive and encouraging 
     family is critical to raising strong and resilient children;
       Whereas strong healthy families improve the quality of life 
     and the development of children;
       Whereas spending time engaging in family activities 
     supports the development of healthy and well-adjusted 
     children;
       Whereas families are of many compositions and sizes, it is 
     the strength and support of the family that is essential to 
     child rearing;
       Whereas families play critical roles in the care of 
     children, and in their children's health care, this is 
     particularly true for children with special needs;
       Whereas mental health plays a central role in child 
     development, families should be encouraged to cultivate 
     environments that are safe and secure, supportive, and that 
     contribute to high-confidence and high self-esteem;
       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 ``National Children 
     and Families Day'', 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, That the House of Representatives supports the 
     goals and ideals of ``National Children and Families Day''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 534, the resolution 
supporting the goals and ideals of National Children and Families Day. 
The strength of our Nation relies heavily upon the future success of 
today's children. To ensure this success, families across the Nation 
work hard to instill resiliency, health and wisdom in their children.
  This bill was introduced on June 11 and was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee reported the bill by 
unanimous consent on June 10, and it comes to the House floor today 
with bipartisan support from over 56 cosponsors.
  Madam Speaker, American families together make tremendous sacrifice 
each day to ensure the quality of their child's development. Families 
play a critical role in the care of children, including their health 
and developmental needs. Families, including those with children of 
special needs, should be encouraged to create safe and secure and 
supportive environments to foster confidence and self-esteem.
  Madam Speaker, House Resolution 534 gives us the opportunity to 
celebrate and reflect upon the role that all these families play in 
developing well-rounded, well-educated children and the positive 
outcomes this creates for the Nation's future. We sincerely thank them 
for their contribution to our country.
  And with that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 534, supporting the 
goals and ideals of National Children and Families Day.
  Families have long played a critical role in the development of 
America's youth and well being of our society as a whole. With this 
resolution, we celebrate those who create a positive family atmosphere 
and for the many families who commit to the challenging task of raising 
healthy, productive young men and women.

                              {time}  1900

  Over the years, we have learned that the families who provide ethical 
and moral guidance are the linchpins of our Nation. We depend on our 
families to encourage education, arouse curiosity, and cultivate safe, 
supportive environments that contribute to self-confidence.
  At this time in history, our youth are increasingly exposed to 
undesirable influences and because of that it becomes all the more 
important for family units to pull together as a team, listen to one 
another, and to work through life's issues.
  By spending time engaging in family activities such as volunteering 
for community service projects, children can learn that service to 
others benefits all those who participate, either those who need 
assistance or those who volunteer to serve them. Creating these strong 
family environments will ultimately result in a new generation of well-
rounded leaders for our country.
  By celebrating National Children and Families Day on the fourth 
Saturday in June, the country recognizes the importance of families as 
well as our country's greatest natural resource, the children of our 
Nation.
  I find it interesting that today, July 21, was my mother's birthday. 
To be able to ask to speak on this is special to me. She passed away in 
1995. I miss her dearly. I would encourage my colleagues to stand up 
and support this legislation.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. At this point I would take great pleasure to yield 5 
minutes to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Ms. Edwards).
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Thank you, Mr. Lynch and Mr. Chaffetz. I'm

[[Page 18524]]

really excited to be here today to rise in support of my resolution, 
House Resolution 534, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National 
Children and Families Day.
  On a note, I would just say to Mr. Chaffetz, part of what moved me in 
introducing this resolution with my colleague from Michigan, Candice 
Miller, was the relationship that I have had with my own family and 
parents and grandparents and extended family, recognizing the very 
special role that families play in the lives of children and growing 
them and nurturing them, and especially in sometimes a very troublesome 
world.
  I'd like to thank Chairman Towns for the leadership in the Government 
Oversight and Reform Committee and for his support of this resolution. 
I'd also like to thank all the cosponsors of the resolution from both 
sides of the aisle--all of us who recognize the value of families and 
the importance to our children. Particularly, the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Miller) herself soon to be a new grandmother, who 
understands the role that she has played in her own children's lives 
and soon to be in a grandchild's life.
  House Resolution 534 brings together a really diverse group of 
Members to recognize and celebrate the role that families play in the 
development of our greatest natural resource and the future of our 
Nation--our children.
  National Children and Families Day is an opportunity to recognize the 
importance of families in raising children. Families, however they're 
defined, improve the quality of life and social development of 
children. It's within the family unit that a child first learns how to 
interact with others and how to cope with challenges.
  Children's early development depends largely on their parents, 
extended family, and other caregivers. As such, children thrive when 
they're raised in an environment of close, dependable relationships 
that provide love, nurturing, security, and encouragement.
  All areas of a child's development--cognitive, social, and physical 
development--are interconnected. Physically, families play critical 
roles in the care of their children, meeting nutritional needs and 
keeping them out of harm. Socially and psychologically it's important 
to consider how we create an environment that will foster socially 
well-adjusted children--one who's in good mental health.
  Cognitive development is linked intimately to psychological welfare, 
and this forms the foundation upon which future progress is 
constructed. These are the things that happen within families.
  National Children and Families Day is also a day to celebrate 
families. It's a special day to highlight the importance of spending 
time engaging in family activities that support the development of 
healthy and well-adjusted children.
  Families that spend time together help cultivate familial bonds that 
lay the foundation for a child's later development, well into 
adulthood. It teaches them how to become good parents themselves.
  We have worked with the National Children's Museum, which I'm excited 
to say will be located in Maryland's Fourth Congressional District that 
I represent, just outside of Washington, D.C., and the Association of 
Children's Museums to encourage special events and activities that will 
highlight the value of spending time together and to celebrate this 
annual event.
  The local children's museums provided my son and me easy access to 
venues where we could spend time together learning to care about and 
improve the world. As a single mother, the museums provided us with 
excellent exhibits and activities that assisted us in strengthening our 
relationship.
  While the composition of families has changed over times, families 
remain the foundation of our national child-rearing structure and are 
critical to raising strong and resilient children.
  Today, families range widely from single-parent families, to extended 
families, to even extended families that care for children of our 
deployed servicemen and women--some of those families where both 
parents in fact are deployed and the extended family becomes the 
nurturing grounds for those children. We have experiences all across 
this country in which family compositions are nurturing and enriching 
environments for their children.
  We see families and their children every day here in the Nation's 
capitol visiting these historic sites in Washington and surrounding 
counties. In this context, allow me to share with my colleagues a ``Top 
Ten'' places for families and children in the Washington region. You 
can find that on Web sites across this country, including the National 
Children's Museum.
  This resolution will serve to remind us how valuable family 
activities are in the lives of children. The joy of participating in 
family activities, however small or large, will remain with a person 
for his or her entire life.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield the gentlelady 1 additional minute.
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. This resolution is designed to reinforce the 
value of this investment of familial time with an annual commemoration.
  In conclusion, I urge you to support House Resolution 534. This 
resolution honors families of all compositions that are based in a 
foundation of love and care and in relationships that foster 
environments in which children can grow, learn, thrive, and mature.
  National Children and Families Day recognizes dynamic families and 
their role in successfully raising our country's future.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers at the moment. 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I just ask all Members to support the 
gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) and her resolution, and I yield 
back the balance of our time.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, 
Ms. Edwards, for offering this important resolution.
  This resolution designates the fourth day of June, 2009 as National 
Children and Families Day.
  Our children are this nation's most important resource, and this 
resolution highlights the invaluable role families have in raising 
healthy, well-adjusted children. Families come in many different shapes 
and sizes, but they all play a critical role in the care and 
development of their children.
  Research shows that spending time together as a family is critical to 
raising strong and resilient kids. And studies have shown, the more 
often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are 
to smoke, drink or use drugs, so we should be in the business of 
supporting families.
  Early childhood experience lays the foundation for later development, 
and the first three years of a child's life are especially important. 
Investing resources in children and families will pay large dividends 
for our society, not only in increased productivity, but also for more 
opportunities for our children to realize their dreams.
  We must take it upon ourselves as a society to cultivate loving and 
supporting families whenever possible. National Children and Families 
Day provides us an opportunity to recognize our responsibility to 
foster family environments that nurture the next generation and to 
promote a positive environment for families across America.
  Lee Iacocca said it best when he said, ``The only rock I know that 
stays steady, the only institution I know that works is the family.''
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I also urge the Members to support the 
passage of H. Res. 534, and yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 534.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

[[Page 18525]]



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