IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 316

Expressing the sense of the Congress that government policy should seek

to reduce the financial penalties against marriage within the welfare

system, and should support married couples in forming and sustaining

healthy, loving, and productive marriages.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 6, 2002

Mr. PITTS (for himself, Mr. AKIN, Mr. GOODE, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr.

HILLEARY, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. BARR

of Georgia, and Mr. NORWOOD) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that government policy

should seek to reduce the financial penalties against marriage within the welfare system, and should support married couples in forming and sustaining healthy, loving,

and productive marriages.

Whereas both men and women who marry live longer, enjoy

better health, and manage chronic illness better than otherwise similar people who are not married;

Whereas married people are significantly less likely to suffer

from the problems of alcoholism and depression than

non-married adults;
2

•HCON 316 IH

Whereas mothers who have married are almost half as likely

to suffer from domestic violence as mothers who have

never married, and married women are 4 to 5 times less

likely to be victims of violent crime than single and divorced women;

Whereas marriage boosts the wealth and earnings of adults

through known economic processes, including economies

of scale, specialization, and risk pooling;

Whereas the institution of marriage strengthens the economy

by increasing productivity, savings, and investment;

Whereas the erosion of marriage imposes substantial hardships on children, adults, and society at large;

Whereas roughly 1 child in 3 in the United States is born

out of wedlock and nearly half of those born to married

parents will experience the divorce of their parents before

age 18;

Whereas a child born and raised by a single parent is 7 times

more likely to live in poverty than a child born and raised

by married parents;

Whereas a child born to and raised by married parents is 5

times less likely to be dependent on welfare than a child

born and raised by a single parent;

Whereas children raised by married parents are less likely to

suffer from behavior problems and emotional disturbances, are less likely to engage in disorderly conduct and

juvenile delinquency, and are less likely to experience

physical and sexual abuse, suicide, substance abuse, and

teen pregnancy than children raised outside of marriage;

Whereas children whose parents never marry or get divorced

are less likely to graduate from high school and as adults
3

•HCON 316 IH

are more likely to be unemployed and to experience economic hardship;

Whereas boys raised by single parents are almost twice as

likely to have committed a crime and spend time in jail

by the time they reach their early thirties; and

Whereas children whose parents never marry or get divorced

are more likely to divorce or have children out of wedlock

themselves, thereby transmitting the pattern of unstable

marriages to future generations: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that

3 healthy marriages are highly important to the well-being

4 of children, adults, and society in general, and that gov5 ernment policy should seek to reduce the financial pen6 alties against marriage within the welfare system, and

7 should support couples who choose to marry and assist

8 them in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to

9 form and sustain healthy, loving, and productive mar10 riages.

Æ