S10958 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 11, 2008 

S. RES. 710 

Whereas 1 in 11 adolescents reports being a 

victim of physical dating violence; 

Whereas dating violence occurs more frequently among black students (13.9 percent) 

than among Hispanic (9.3 percent) or white (7 

percent) students; 

Whereas 1 in 5 teenagers in a serious relationship reports having been hit, slapped, or 

pushed by a partner; 

Whereas more than 1 in 4 teenagers have 

been in a relationship where a partner is verbally abusive; 

Whereas 30 percent of teenagers in a dating 

relationship have been text messaged 10, 20, 

or 30 times per hour by a partner attempting 

to find out where they are, what they are 

doing, or who they are with; 

Whereas 40 percent of the youngest 

‘‘tweens’’, those between the ages of 11 and 

12, report that their friends are victims of 

verbal abuse in dating relationships; 

Whereas nearly 3 in 4 tweens say that dating relationships usually begin at age 14 or 

younger; 

Whereas 29 percent of girls who have been 

in a relationship said that they have been 

pressured to have sex or to engage in sexual 

activities that they did not want; 

Whereas 69 percent of all teenagers who 

had sex by age 14 said they have experienced 

1 or more types of abuse in a dating relationship; 

Whereas 1 in 5 teenagers (20 percent) between the ages of 13 and 14 say their friends 

are victims of dating violence; 

Whereas in 2003, in a national survey of 

over 14,000 high school students conducted by 

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just over 8 percent of boys and girls reported physical dating violence victimization and were more likely to engage in risky 

behaviors including sexual intercourse, attempted suicide, episodic heavy drinking, 

and physical fighting; 

Whereas Native American women experience higher rates of interpersonal violence 

than any other population group; 

Whereas violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications for victims, putting them at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual 

behavior, suicide, and adult revictimization; 

Whereas the severity of violence among intimate partners has been shown to be greater 

in cases where the pattern of violence has 

been established in adolescence; 

Whereas more than 3 times as many 

tweens (20 percent) as parents of tweens (6 

percent) admit that parents know little or 

nothing about the tweens’ dating relationships; 

Whereas a majority of parents surveyed either believe dating violence is not an issue 

or admit they do not know if it is an issue; 

and 

Whereas the establishment of National 

Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week will benefit schools, communities, 

and families regardless of socio-economic 

status, race, or sex: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates the week of February 2 

through February 6, 2009, as ‘‘National Teen 

Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention 

Week’’; and 

(2) calls upon the people of the United 

States, high schools, law enforcement, State 

and local officials, and interested groups to 

observe National Teen Dating Violence 

Awareness and Prevention Week with appropriate programs and activities that promote 

awareness and prevention of the crime of 

teen dating violence in their communities. 

S. RES. 728 

Whereas mentoring is a longstanding tradition in which a dependable, caring adult provides guidance, support, and encouragement 

to facilitate a young person’s social, emotional, and cognitive development; 

Whereas continued research on mentoring 

shows that formal, high-quality mentoring 

focused on developing the competence and 

character of the mentee promotes positive 

outcomes, such as improved academic 

achievement, self-esteem, social skills, and 

career development; 

Whereas further research on mentoring 

provides strong evidence that mentoring successfully reduces substance use and abuse, 

academic failure, and delinquency; 

Whereas mentoring, in addition to preparing young people for school, work, and 

life, is extremely rewarding for those serving 

as mentors; 

Whereas more than 4,200 mentoring programs in communities of all sizes across the 

United States focus on building strong, effective relationships between mentors and 

mentees; 

Whereas approximately 3,000,000 young 

people in the United States are in solid mentoring relationships due to the remarkable 

vigor, creativity, and resourcefulness of the 

thousands of mentoring programs in communities throughout the Nation; 

Whereas, in spite of the progress made to 

increase mentoring, the Nation has a serious 

‘‘mentoring gap’’, with nearly 15,000,000 

young people in need of mentors; 

Whereas mentoring partnerships between 

the public and private sectors bring State 

and local leaders together to support mentoring programs by preventing duplication of 

efforts, offering training in industry best 

practices, and making the most of limited 

resources to benefit young people in the 

United States; 

Whereas the designation of January 2009 as 

National Mentoring Month will help call attention to the critical role mentors play in 

helping young people realize their potential; 

Whereas a month-long celebration of mentoring will encourage more individuals and 

organizations, including schools, businesses, 

nonprofit organizations, faith institutions, 

and foundations, to become engaged in mentoring across the United States; and 

Whereas National Mentoring Month will, 

most significantly, build awareness of mentoring and encourage more people to become 

mentors and help close the mentoring gap in 

the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates the month of January 2009 as 

‘‘National Mentoring Month’’; 

(2) recognizes with gratitude the contributions of the millions of caring adults and 

students who are already volunteering as 

mentors and encourages more adults and 

students to volunteer as mentors; and 

(3) encourages the people of the United 

States to observe National Mentoring Month 

with appropriate ceremonies and activities 

that promote awareness of, and volunteer involvement with, youth mentoring. 

f 

APPOINTMENT 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

Chair, on behalf of the majority leader, 

pursuant to Public Law 96–114, as 

amended, appoints the following individual to the Congressional Award 

Board: Major General Robert Newman 

of Virginia. 

ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 

12, 2008, THROUGH FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2009 

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask 

unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it 

stand in recess for pro forma sessions 

with no business conducted on the following days and times: Friday, December 12 at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, December 16 

at 11 a.m.; Friday, December 19 at 10 

a.m.; Tuesday, December 23 at 11 a.m.; 

Friday, December 26 at 11 a.m.; Tuesday, December 30 at 10:30 a.m.; and Friday, January 2 at 10 a.m.; that at the 

close of the pro forma session on January 2, the Senate stand adjourned sine 

die under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 

440. 

Further, I ask unanimous consent 

that the record remain open for statements until 12 noon tomorrow. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I 

suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

AUTHORITY TO MAKE 

APPOINTMENTS 

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask 

unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President 

of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority 

leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, 

boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by 

concurrent action of the two Houses, or 

by order of the Senate. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

RECESS UNTIL 10 A.M. TOMORROW 

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, if 

there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand in recess under the 

previous order. 

There being no objection, the Senate, 

at 11:50 p.m., recessed until Friday, December 12, 2008, at 10 a.m. 

f 

NOMINATIONS 

Executive nomination received by 

the Senate: 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

MATTHEW W. FRIEDRICH, OF TEXAS, TO BE AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, VICE ALICE S. FISHER, RESIGNED.