----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 5:27
PM
Subject: [repeal19th] US Senate
renames Fathers Day!
NATIONAL RESPONSIBLE FATHER'S DAY (Senate - June 13,
2000)
[Page: S5057] GPO's PDF
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 322, introduced
earlier today by Senators Bayh,
Domenici, and others.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Allard). The clerk will
report the resolution by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 322) encouraging and promoting greater
involvement of fathers in their children's lives and designating June
18, 2000, as `Responsible Father's Day.'
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. ENZI. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the
preamble be agreed to, a motion to consider be laid upon the table, and
any statements be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 322) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 322
Encouraging and promoting greater involvement of
fathers in their children's lives and designating June 18, 2000, as
`Responsible Father's Day'.
Whereas 40 percent of children who live in households without a
father have not seen their father in at least 1 year and 50 percent of
such children have never visited their father's home;
Whereas approximately 50 percent of all children born in the United
States spend at least 1/2 of their childhood in a family without a
father figure;
Whereas nearly 20 percent of children in grades 6 through 12 report
that they have not had a meaningful conversation with even 1 parent in
over a month;
Whereas 3 out of 4 adolescents report that `they do not have adults
in their lives that model positive behaviors';
Whereas many of the United States leading experts on family and child
development agree that it is in the best interest of both children and
the United States to encourage more two-parent, father-involved families
to form and endure;
Whereas it is important to promote responsible fatherhood and
encourage loving and healthy relationships between parents and their
children in order to increase the chance that children will have two
caring parents to help them grow up healthy and secure and not to--
(1) denigrate the standing or parenting efforts of single mothers,
whose efforts are heroic;
(2) lessen the protection of children from abusive parents;
(3) cause women to remain in or enter into abusive relationships; or
(4) compromise the health or safety of a custodial parent;
Whereas children who are apart from their biological father are, in
comparison to other children--
(1) 5 times more likely to live in poverty; and
(2) more likely to--
(A) bring weapons and drugs into the classroom;
(B) commit crime;
(C) drop out of school;
(D) be abused;
(E) commit suicide;
(F) abuse alcohol or drugs; and
(G) become pregnant as teenagers;
Whereas the Federal Government spends billions of dollars to address
these social ills and very little to address the causes of such social
ills;
Whereas violent criminals are overwhelmingly males who grew up
without fathers;
Whereas the number of children living with only a mother increased
from just over 5,000,000 in 1960, to 17,000,000 in 1999, and between
1981 and 1991 the percentage of children living with only 1 parent
increased from 19 percent to 25 percent;
Whereas between 20 percent and 30 percent of families in poverty are
headed by women who have suffered domestic violence during the past year
and between 40 percent and 60 percent of women with children who receive
welfare were abused at some time in their life;
Whereas millions of single mothers in the United States are
heroically struggling to raise their children in safe, loving
environments;
Whereas responsible fatherhood should always recognize and promote
values of nonviolence;
Whereas child support is an important means by which a parent can
take financial responsibility for a child and emotional support is an
important means by which a parent can take social responsibility for a
child;
Whereas children learn by example, community programs that help mold
young men into positive role models for their children need to be
encouraged;
Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood is not meant to diminish the
parenting efforts of single mothers but rather to increase the
likelihood that children will have 2 caring parents to help them grow up
in loving environments; and
Whereas Congress has begun to take notice of this issue with
legislation introduced in both the House of Representatives and the
Senate to address the epidemic of fatherlessness: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the need to encourage active involvement of fathers in
the rearing and development of their children;
(2) recognizes that while there are millions of fathers who serve as
a wonderful caring parent for their children, there are children on
Father's Day who will have no one to celebrate with;
(3) urges fathers to participate in their children's lives both
financially and emotionally;
(4) encourages fathers to devote time, energy, and resources to their
children;
(5) urges fathers to understand the level of responsibility required
when fathering a child and to fulfill that responsibility;
(6) is committed to assist absent fathers become more responsible and
engaged in their children's lives;
(7) designates June 18, 2000, as `National Responsible Father's Day';
(8) calls upon fathers around the country to use the day to reconnect
and rededicate themselves to their children's lives, to spend `National
Responsible Father's Day' with their children, and to express their love
and support for their children; and
(9) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the
people of the United States to observe `National Responsible Father's
Day' with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
SENATE RESOLUTION 322--ENCOURAGING AND PROMOTING GREATER
INVOLVEMENT OF FATHERS IN THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES AND DESIGNATING JUNE
18, 2000, AS `RESPONSIBLE FATHER'S DAY' (Senate - June 13,
2000)
[Page: S5032] GPO's PDF
Mr. BAYH (for himself, Mr. Domenici, Mr.
Abraham, Mr. Akaka, Mr.
Ashcroft, Mr. Bingaman, Mr.
Bond, Mr. Breaux, Mr.
Brownback, Mr. L. Chafee, Mr.
Dodd, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Gorton,
Mr. Graham, Mr. Gramm, Mr.
Grams, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Inhofe,
Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kerrey, Ms.
Landrieu, Mr. Lieberman, Mr.
Murkowski, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire,
Mr. Stevens, Mr. Thurmond, and Mr.
Voinovich) submitted the following resolution; which
was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 322
Whereas 40 percent of children who live in households without a
father have not seen their father in at least 1 year and 50 percent of
such children have never visited their father's home;
Whereas approximately 50 percent of all children born in the United
States spend at least 1/2 of their childhood in a family without a
father figure;
Whereas nearly 20 percent of children in grades 6 through 12 report
that they have not had a meaningful conversation with even 1 parent in
over a month;
Whereas 3 out of 4 adolescents report that `they do not have adults
in their lives that model positive behaviors';
Whereas many of the United States leading experts on family and child
development agree that it is in the best interest of both children and
the United States to encourage more two-parent, father-involved families
to form and endure;
Whereas it is important to promote responsible fatherhood and
encourage loving and healthy relationships between parents and their
children in order to increase the chance that children will have two
caring parents to help them grow up healthy and secure and not to--
(1) denigrate the standing or parenting efforts of single mothers,
whose efforts are heroic;
(2) lessen the protection of children from abusive parents;
(3) cause women to remain in or enter into abusive relationships; or
(4) compromise the health or safety of a custodial parent;
Whereas children who are apart from their biological father are, in
comparison to other children--
(1) 5 times more likely to live in poverty; and
(2) more likely to--
(A) bring weapons and drugs into the classroom;
(B) commit crime;
(C) drop out of school;
(D) be abused;
(E) commit suicide;
(F) abuse alcohol or drugs; and
(G) become pregnant as teenagers;
Whereas the Federal Government spends billions of dollars to address
these social ills and very little to address the causes of such social
ills;
Whereas violent criminals are overwhelmingly males who grew up
without fathers;
Whereas the number of children living with only a mother increased
from just over 5,000,000 in 1960, to 17,000,000 in 1999, and between
1981 and 1991 the percentage of children living with only 1 parent
increased from 19 percent to 25 percent;
Whereas between 20 percent and 30 percent of families in poverty are
headed by women who have suffered domestic violence during the past year
and between 40 percent and 60 percent of women with children who receive
welfare were abused at some time in their life;
Whereas millions of single mothers in the United States are
heroically struggling to raise their children in safe, loving
environments;
Whereas responsible fatherhood should always recognize and promote
values of nonviolence;
Whereas child support is an important means by which a parent can
take financial responsibility for a child and emotional support is an
important means by which a parent can take social responsibility for a
child;
Whereas children learn by example, community programs that help mold
young men into positive role models for their children need to be
encouraged;
Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood is not meant to diminish the
parenting efforts of single mothers but rather to increase the
likelihood that children will have 2 caring parents to help them grow up
in loving environments; and
Whereas Congress has begun to take notice of this issue with
legislation introduced in both the House of Representatives and the
Senate to address the epidemic of fatherlessness: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the need to encourage active involvement of fathers in
the rearing and development of their children;
(2) recognizes that while there are millions of fathers who serve as
a wonderful caring parent for their children, there are children on
Father's Day who will have no one to celebrate with;
(3) urges fathers to participate in their children's lives both
financially and emotionally;
(4) encourages fathers to devote time, energy, and resources to their
children;
(5) urges fathers to understand the level of responsibility required
when fathering a child and to fulfill that responsibility;
(6) is committed to assist absent fathers become more responsible and
engaged in their children's lives;
(7) designates June 18, 2000, as `National Responsible Father's Day';
(8) calls upon fathers around the country to use the day to reconnect
and rededicate themselves to their children's lives, to spend `National
Responsible Father's Day' with their children, and to express their love
and support for their children; and
(9) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the
people of the United States to observe `National Responsible Father's
Day' with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
[Page: S5033] GPO's PDF
