Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, Senator LIEBERMAN and I today introduce a resolution which asks that June 20, Father's Day, be further designated as ``National Father's Return Day.'' The purpose of this resolution is to highlight the fact that fathers are needed in the family.
I heard Governor George Bush speak this past weekend in New Hampshire, and one of the things that really resonated with me was that he said the most important job we have is not being a Governor or being a Senator or being head of an assembly line or working at a restaurant; the most important job we have is to be good moms and pops. That is absolutely true. Unfortunately, in our country today, one out of every three children is currently in a household without a father. That has a devastating impact on the manner in which these children perceive life and the manner in which these children are raised.
We all know that in this time of difficult economic activity, where, unfortunately, it does take two parents working to raise a family in many households, there is great stress on the family to begin with and there is always the question of enough family time. There is always the question of having enough time to be with our children and have our children get from their parents the values and the ideas that are so critical.
Coupled with the fact that so many children are being raised in households where there is no father, it is absolutely critical that we refocus ourselves on the importance of the father in the household and that we say to those fathers who maybe have left the household and are not spending the type of time they should with their children, who are not coming back as regularly as they should or not taking the extra initiatives, the extra time it takes to be with their children during periods when it is convenient for both the mother and the father: Think about this, think about what you are doing, and think about your obligations as a father.
So this initiative which we put forward today, this resolution to designate June 20 as National Father's Return Day, has as its purpose to highlight this fact and to say to fathers throughout our Nation, think about your opportunity as a father, not only fathers outside the home but fathers who are still in the nuclear family, [Page: S7162] think about your responsibilities and make sure you are living up to that obligation, because as a Nation I think we must all understand we are never going to be able to be a nation of values, a nation of moral strength, a nation of purpose, unless we give our children, the next generation, a sense of purpose, a sense of values, and a sense of moral strength. The father plays a major role in accomplishing that.
So this resolution, which I will not read in its entirety, although it is an excellent resolution, I must admit, has as its resolve clause:
Be it Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes that the creation of a better United States requires the active involvement of fathers in the rearing and development of their children;
(2) urges each father in the United States to accept his full share of responsibility for the lives of his children, to be actively involved in rearing his children, and to encourage the emotional, academic, moral, and spiritual development of his children;
(3) urges the States to hold fathers who ignore their legal responsibilities accountable for their actions and to pursue more aggressive enforcement of child support obligations;
(4) encourages each father to devote time, energy, and resources to his children, recognizing that children need not only material support, but also, more importantly, a secure, affectionate, family environment.
(5) urges governments and institutions at every level to remove barriers to father involvement and enact public policies that encourage and support the efforts of fathers who do want to become more engaged in the lives of their children;
(6) to demonstrate the commitment of the Senate to those critically important goals, designates June 20, 1999, as ``National Father's Return Day'';
(7) calls on fathers around the country to use the day to reconnect and rededicate themselves to their children's lives, to spend National Father's Return Day with their children, and to express their love and support for them.
Then it requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe National Father's Return Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
I certainly appreciate the chance to participate in this resolution, which was the idea and the initiative of the Senator from Connecticut, who has so many good ideas in the area of trying to improve family values in our Nation.
So it is a pleasure for me to join with him on this resolution, to be a cosponsor of this resolution, and participate in offering it today.
