IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 441

Supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater involvement of

fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father’s Day.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 11, 2002

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself, Mr. PITTS, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. TURNER, Mr.

SOUDER, and Mr. RYUN of Kansas) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

RESOLUTION

Supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater

involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father’s Day.

Whereas children with fathers at home tend to do better in

school, to be less prone to depression, and to have more

successful relationships;

Whereas boys and girls alike demonstrate greater self-control

and ability to take initiative when fathers are actively involved in their upbringing;

Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood can help increase

the chances that children will grow up with two caring

parents;

Whereas a broad array of America’s leading family and childdevelopment experts agree that it is in the best interests
2

•HRES 441 IH

of children, and the Nation as a whole, to encourage

more two-parent, father-involved families;

Whereas in a study of fathers’ interaction with their children

in intact two-parent families, nearly 90 percent of the fathers surveyed said that being a father is the most fulfilling role a man can have;

Whereas according to a 1996 Gallup poll, 90.3 percent of

Americans agree that fathers make a unique contribution

to their children’s lives;

Whereas a study of first-grade boys and their married parents found that fathers who participated more in

childcare had sons who were more empathetic than sons

whose fathers did not participate often in childcare;

Whereas married fathers are more likely to have a close, enduring relationship with their children than unmarried

fathers;

Whereas the promotion of responsible fatherhood is a bipartisan issue; and

Whereas Father’s Day is the third Sunday in June: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) urges men to understand the level of re3 sponsibility fathering a child requires, especially in

4 the encouragement of the academic, moral, and spir5 itual development of children;

6 (2) recognizes the need to encourage active in7 volvement of fathers in the rearing and development

8 of their children;
3

•HRES 441 IH

1 (3) encourages each father to devote time, en2 ergy, and resources to his children, recognizing that

3 children need not only material support, but even

4 more importantly, a secure and nurturing family en5 vironment;

6 (4) commends the millions of fathers who serve

7 as wonderful, caring parents for their children, while

8 also recognizing that there are children who will

9 have no one with whom to celebrate on Father’s

10 Day;

11 (5) urges mothers to encourage fathers to play

12 an active role in child-rearing;

13 (6) calls on fathers across the Nation to use

14 Father’s Day to reconnect and rededicate themselves

15 to their children’s lives, to spend Father’s Day with

16 their children, and to express their love and support

17 for their children; and

18 (7) urges American institutions, and govern19 ment entities at every level, to promote public poli20 cies that encourage and support the efforts of, and

21 remove barriers to, responsible fatherhood.

Æ