IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 167

Encouraging and promoting greater involvement of fathers in their children’s

lives, especially on Father’s Day.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 14, 2001

Ms. CARSON of Indiana (for herself, Mr. BISHOP, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr.

CLAY, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr.

DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas,

Ms. LEE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms.

MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms.

NORTON, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. SCOTT, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. WATSON of California, Mr. WATT of North

Carolina, and Mr. WYNN) submitted the following resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

RESOLUTION

Encouraging and promoting greater involvement of fathers

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

Whereas 40 percent of children who live in fatherless households in the United States have not seen their fathers in

at least 1 year, and 50 percent of such children have

never visited their fathers’ homes;

Whereas approximately 50 percent of all children born in the

United States spend at least half of their childhood in

families without father figures;
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Whereas 3 out of 4 adolescents in the United States report

that they do not have adults in their lives that serve as

positive role models;

Whereas children who are apart from their biological fathers

are, in comparison to other children, 5 times more likely

to live in poverty, and more likely to bring weapons and

drugs into the classroom, commit other crimes, drop out

of school, commit suicide, abuse alcohol or drugs, and become pregnant as teenagers;

Whereas the Federal Government spends billions of dollars to

address these social ills and very little to promote responsible fatherhood;

Whereas many of the leading experts on family and child development in the United States agree that it is in the

best interest of both children and the United States to

encourage more 2-parent, father-involved families;

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 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 2 caring parents to help them

grow up healthy and secure;

Whereas the promotion of responsible fatherhood should not

(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;
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Whereas children learn by example, and community programs

that help mold young men into positive role models for

their children need to be encouraged; 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 absent

fathers: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) recognizes the need to encourage active in3 volvement of fathers in the rearing and development

4 of their children;

5 (2) recognizes that while there are millions of

6 fathers who serve as wonderful, caring parents for

7 their children, there are children who will have no

8 one with whom to celebrate on Father’s Day;

9 (3) urges fathers to participate in their chil10 dren’s lives, both financially and emotionally;

11 (4) encourages fathers to devote time, energy,

12 and resources to their children;

13 (5) urges fathers to understand the level of re14 sponsibility required when fathering a child and to

15 fulfill that responsibility;

16 (6) is committed to assisting absent fathers to

17 become more responsible and engaged in their chil18 dren’s lives; and

19 (7) calls upon fathers around the country to use

20 Father’s Day to reconnect and rededicate themselves
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1 to their children’s lives, to spend Father’s Day with

2 their children, and to express their love and support

3 for their children.

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