Week Ending June 18

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending June 18, 2004

House Resolution 66 Supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father’s Day.

BRIEF

Congress finds that 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. Further, approximately 50 percent of all children born in the United States spend at least half of their childhood in families without father figures, and 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.

Congress also finds that 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, or become pregnant as teenagers.

Although the Federal Government spends billions of dollars to address these social ills and very little to promote responsible fatherhood. Considering that children with fathers at home tend to do better in school, to be less prone to depression, and to have more successful relationships, and boys and girls alike demonstrate greater self-control and ability to take initiative when fathers are actively involved in their upbringing, Congress concludes that promoting responsible fatherhood can help increase the chances that children will grow up with two caring parents.

The promotion of responsible fatherhood, Congress notes, should not denigrate the standing or parenting efforts of single mothers, whose efforts are heroic, a broad array of the Nation's leading family and child development experts agree that it is in the best interests of children and the Nation as a whole to encourage more two-parent families where the father is actively involved with his children.

A study concluded that among fathers who interact with their children in intact two-parent families, nearly 90 percent of the fathers said that being a father is the most fulfilling role a man can have and a 1996 Gallup poll, showed 90.3 percent of Americans agree that fathers make a unique contribution to their children's lives.

Congress believes that married fathers are more likely to have a close, enduring relationship with their children than unmarried fathers.

Sponsor: Representative John Sullivan (R-OK)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote.