IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 706 

Expressing support for the designation of November 9, 2019, as ‘‘Gold Star 

Father’s Day’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2019 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself, Mr. WOODALL, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of 

Georgia, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. 

COSTA, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. LOUDERMILK, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. NORTON, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. MOORE, Ms. CLARKE of 

New York, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. RUSH, Mr. LEWIS, Mrs. 

WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. FUDGE, Mrs. BEATTY, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. 

COX of California, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. ALLEN, and Mr. CISNEROS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Oversight and Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of November 9, 2019, 

as ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’. 

Whereas thousands of men and women have laid down their 

lives to defend the liberty and soul of our Nation, and 

families of fallen members of the Armed Forces have lost 

their loved ones in service to our country; 

Whereas families of members of the Armed Forces demonstrate a different kind of heroism, supporting children 

and family members while loved ones are deployed, sacrificing holidays with members who are serving overseas, 


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•HRES 706 IH 

and facing each day knowing their loved one might be in 

danger and could never return home; 

Whereas, before the Iraq war, the United States had lost over 

1,300,000 members of the Armed Forces during wartime, 

and since October 2001, over 4,400 members of the 

Armed Forces have lost their lives serving this country, 

leaving thousands of family members behind; 

Whereas, in 2015, the Gold Star Fathers Act was signed into 

law to ensure Gold Star Fathers were eligible for the 

same benefits guaranteed to mothers of fallen or permanently disabled members of the Armed Forces, honoring 

their sacrifice and loss, but this legislation did not designate a Gold Star Father’s Day; 

Whereas the last Sunday in September was designated by 

Congress as Gold Star Mother’s Day in 1936; 

Whereas President Donald Trump designated September 24, 

2017, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day, and in 

2016 President Barack Obama proclaimed September 25, 

2016, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day; 

Whereas the Georgia House of Representatives adopted 

House Resolution 723 on March 24, 2017, recognizing 

November 9 as Georgia Gold Star Father Day; 

Whereas Father’s Day honors and celebrates fatherhood and 

the unique paternal bonds between a father and his children; and 

Whereas the goals of ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’ on November 

9 are to— 

(1) honor and celebrate fathers who have lost children in service to the United States of America; 


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(2) honor fathers of fallen members of the Armed 

Forces and recognize that they as parents have experienced extraordinary and unimaginable loss; 

(3) recognize the need to support families of members of the Armed Forces throughout the United States; 

and 

(4) honor the courage of fathers who understand the 

true price of freedom and now face Father’s Day without 

their child[ren]: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports 

2 the designation of ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’. 

Æ 


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