Congressional Record
105th Congress (1997-1998)

In describing the AFCC, I saw that Mike McCormick of ACFC was presenting a workshop, alongside a PAS Parenting Coordinator AFCC Board Member  Matthew J Sullivan, Ph.D. and The Hon. Robert A. Schnider, long-timer from Los Angeles County who retired in 2008.

I t hought to look up the 1998 & 1999 resolutions on fatherhood in the U.S. Congress.  Here’s some of the record from Thomas.gov:

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someday my two sons will be to theirs. Fathers like it simple. So to mine and all of ours, I simply say, thanks, Dad.
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FATHERHOOD PROMOTION TASK FORCE
(Mr. MCINTYRE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his re- marks.)

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, as a new Member from North Carolina, it is a high honor to serve the people in the House. Yet an even more important role in my life is that of being a father. As I approach my 14th year of being called ‘‘Dad,’’ we must all realize that fathers do make a difference in the home.

The statistics speak for themselves and are staggering. Four out of ten children in America will go home to- night without a father. The time a fa- ther spends with a child averages, one on one, only 10 minutes a day. Violent criminals too often are males who have grown in a home without a father. As leaders of our country, we must do bet- ter.

I urge my colleagues to join the Con- gressional Fatherhood Promotion Task Force. We will explore ways to challenge fathers to that type of commitment, not just another law or another government program, but encouraging fathers to fulfill the calling that they have in their lives.
The future of our country lies in the hands of our children. Through this task force, we will ensure that those hands are properly prepared with persistence and purpose and ready to lead. Please join us in this important mission that we not fail.

PROMOTION OF FATHERHOOD IS CRITICAL

(Mr. TURNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, as we ap- proach this Father’s Day, many of us are fortunate to reflect upon the positive influence of our own fathers and to feel the sense of joy that comes from being a father. We understand that the experience of having a father is critical to shaping our lives, and we know that there are numerous studies that have been done that point out that loving, committed fathers help children get a better start in life.

FIRST, it’s for what it does for them personally to be a father, SECOND, it’s for helping children get a “better start in life.”

According to the Journal of Family Issues, interaction between children and their fathers improves the child’s early mental development and physical well-being. We know that children who grow up with committed fathers are less likely to get involved with gangs and drugs and turn out to be better parents themselves. That is why the Book of Proverbs tells us to train the child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

A group of Members in this House have joined together to form the Fa- therhood Promotion Task Force for the purpose of examining Government poli- cies to ensure that those policies pro- mote, encourage, and support families. Every child deserves the love and care of a responsible adult, and the pro- motion of fatherhood is critical to our future.

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REDUCING THE TAX BURDEN ON FATHERS

(Mr. NEUMANN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his re- marks.)

Mr. NEUMANN. Mr. Speaker, Sunday is Father’s Day, and I would like to start by paying tribute to my father, who has done such a great job in help- ing myself and my brothers and sisters in getting to where we are in our lives today. Certainly, without his support as we were growing up, we would not be here and would not be able to be doing the things we are doing here today.

I also have to think about in the so- ciety that we live in how many fathers are forced to work two jobs because of the large tax burden. And I have to hope that the work we are doing out here this week in Washington, working to reduce that tax burden on our Amer- ican families by providing a $500 per child tax cut and by providing a college tuition tax credit, let us hope that that work and that effort that we are going through this week out here in Washing- ton will somehow allow our fathers to not have to work that second and third job out there in America so that they can in fact spend more time at home with their families and spend more time with their children, providing them the guidance to make this a better nation in the long term for everyone.

818 . REGARDING IMPORTANCE OF FATHERS IN RAISING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CHILDREN (House of Representatives – June 09, 1998) 
This one is long.  I am going to post it here:

WORDCOUNT “fatherhood”– 31 occurrences; “fathers” – 31 occurrences (including title), mothers (plural) ONE occurrence;  “father” – (over 100 occurrences)

Fatherhood Promotion – 9 matches + Promotion of fatherhood – 1  – 10 total.

Families – 10 occ (incl. single-parent & two-parent, 1 each).  Family – 11 matches; Children – 62 matches; parent/s — 11 matches.

“absent” — 11 matches.  “VIOLENCE” — not found.  “Abuse” – 1 occ, only with “alcohol abuse” and attributed to fatherlessness:

“Most importantly, fatherless homes have a devastating impact on our children. National research tells us that without a father, children are four times as likely to be poor, twice as likely to drop out of school, et cetera. Fatherless children also have a higher risk of suicide, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, and delinquency”

“fatherless” – 5 times.

MOTHER

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Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 417) regarding the importance of fathers in the rearing and development of their children, as amended.

The Clerk read as follows:

H. Res. 417

Whereas studies reveal that even in high-crime, inner-city neighborhoods, well over 90 percent of children from safe, stable, two-parent homes do not become delinquents;

Whereas researchers have linked father presence with improved fetal and infant development, and father-child interaction has been shown to promote a child’s physical well-being, perceptual abilities, and competency for relatedness with other persons, even at a young age;

Whereas premature infants whose fathers spend ample time playing with them have better cognitive outcomes, and children who have higher than average self-esteem and lower than average depression report having a close relationship with their father;

Whereas both boys and girls demonstrate a greater ability to take initiative and evidence self-control when they are reared with fathers who are actively involved in their upbringing;

It would be nice to see that reference.

Whereas, although mothers often work tremendously hard to rear their children in a nurturing environment, a mother can benefit from the positive support of the father of her children;

Whereas, according to a 1996 Gallup Poll, 79.1 percent of Americans believe the most significant family or social problem facing America is the physical absence of the father from the home and the resulting lack of involvement of fathers in the rearing and development of their children;

Whereas, according to the Bureau of the Census, in 1994, 19,500,000 children in the United States (nearly one-fourth of all children in the United States) lived in families in which the father was absent;

Whereas, according to a 1996 Gallup Poll, 90.9 percent of Americans believe `it is important for children to live in a home with both their mother and their father’;

Whereas it is estimated that half of all United States children born today will spend at least half their childhood in a family in which a father figure is absent;

Whereas estimates of the likelihood that marriages will end in divorce range from 40 percent to 50 percent, and approximately three out of every five divorcing couples have at least one child;

Whereas almost half of all 11- through 16-year-old children who live in mother-headed homes have not seen their father in the last twelve months;

Whereas the likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is reared without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families;

Whereas children of single-parents are less likely to complete high school and more likely to have low earnings and low employment stability as adults than children reared in two-parent families;

Whereas a 1990 Los Angeles Times poll found that 57 percent of all fathers and 55 percent of all mothers feel guilty about not spending enough time with their children;

Whereas almost 20 percent of 6th through 12th graders report that they have not had a good conversation lasting for at least 10 minutes with at least one of their parents in more than a month;

Whereas, according to a Gallup poll, over 50 percent of all adults agreed that fathers today spend less time with their children than their fathers spent with them;

Whereas President Clinton has stated that `the single biggest social problem in our society may be the growing absence of fathers from their children’s homes because it contributes to so many other social problems’ and that `the real source of the [welfare] problem is the inordinate number of out of wedlock births in this country’;

Whereas the Congressional Task Force on Fatherhood Promotion and the Senate Task Force on Fatherhood Promotion were both formed in 1997, and the Governors Fatherhood Task Force was formed in February 1998;

Whereas the Congressional Task Force on Fatherhood Promotion is exploring the social changes that are required to ensure that every child is reared with a father who is committed to be actively involved in the rearing and development of his children;

Whereas the 36 members of the Congressional Task Force on Fatherhood Promotion are promoting fatherhood in their congressional districts;

Whereas the National Fatherhood Initiative is holding a National Summit on Fatherhood in Washington, D.C., with the purpose of mobilizing a response to father absence in several of the most powerful sectors of society, including public policy, public and private social services, education, religion, entertainment, the media, and the civic community;

Whereas both Republican and Democrat leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate will be participating in this event; and

Whereas the promotion of fatherhood is a bipartisan issue: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) recognizes that the creation of a better America depends in large part on the active involvement of fathers in the rearing and development of their children;

(2) urges each father in America 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 academic, moral, and spiritual development of his children and urges the States to aggressively prosecute those fathers who fail to fulfill their legal responsibility to pay child support;

(3) encourages each father to devote time, energy, and resources to his children, recognizing that children need not only material support, but more importantly a secure, affectionate, family environment; and

(4) expresses its support for a national summit on fatherhood.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) and the gentleman from California (Mr.Martinez) each will control 20 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh).

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Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 417 expresses the importance of fathers in the rearing and development of their children. This is a bipartisan measure and has the support of both the majority and minority leaders.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity this afternoon to move this resolution forward. Perhaps the committee selected me to move this forward because I am a recent father. Elizabeth Jenkins was born into our household last fall on October 23, and Ellie, as Ruthie and I have been calling her, is the source of unending joy for me and for my wife, and I share that joy with all of my colleagues who I know are also fathers, and it has meant a great deal to me.

I hope today by this resolution to be able to share some of the sense of joy and importance of fathers in rearing our children, because it should be alarming to all of us that half of the children born today are likely to spend half of their childhood in a family in which a father figure is absent. We should be especially alarmed when study after study shows new evidence of the negative impact of an absent father on children.

I would like to highlight one study in particular, a recent study that was released last October by the Department of Education’s National Center of Education Statistics. This study, entitled `Father’s Involvement in Their Children’s Schools,’ found that a father’s involvement, whether in a two-parent family, a single-father family, or a nonresident family had a very positive impact on the children.

Specifically, this involvement increased the likelihood of their children getting mostly A’s in schools, reducing the likelihood of their having to repeat a grade, and reduced the chance of being suspended or expelled from school. These associations remained even after controlling for other factors, such as the parents’ education level, household income or the mother’s involvement.

The fact is, a strong father’s presence can improve both fetal development and infant development, promote physical well-being, and increase the ability of children to get along with each other. Conversely, the lack of a strong father figure presents an increased likelihood of delinquency and criminal behavior when the child is grown.

Social scientists are not the only ones who realize this. …

Maybe not, but they & psychologists, sure are the primary ones (along with religiously oriented leaders) i promoting it!

A 1996 Gallup poll found that nearly 80 percent of Americans, 80 percent of Americans, believe the most significant family or social problem facing America is the physical absence of the father from the home and the resulting lack of the involvement of that father in the rearing and development of their children.   (??)

Last year the leadership recognized this as well, and, with that leadership, they appointed a Task Force on Fatherhood Promotion led by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), the gentleman from California (Mr. Rogan) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner). This congressional task force was formed, along with a similar task force in the Senate, as well as one by the national Governors.

One of the main goals of these groups is to highlight the importance of fatherhood, to explore the social changes that are required and to ensure that every child, every child in America, is raised with a father who is committed to that child, who will be actively involved in the rearing of that child and be involved in the development of that child.

On June 15, the National Fatherhood Initiative will hold a summit. It is a National Summit on Fatherhood here in Washington, D.C. *** The purpose is to mobilize a response to the problem of absent fathers. It will mobilize this response in several of the most important sectors in our community, the most powerful sectors in our society, including the public policy sector, private and public social services, education, religion, entertainment, the media, and the civic community.

For the record, the National Fatherhood Initiative, is a nonprofit formed in 1994 INAPPROPRIATELY, with a CONFLICT OF INTEREST  — when one of its originators was at HHS.   THis is well- known by now, but the outfit continues to receive federal funding and trains the trainers.  It’s in full swing.

This resolution that we have before us today was first introduced to the House by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) and others who want to express support for such a summit. This resolution goes on to state that the House of Representatives, one, recognizes the creation of a better America depends in large part on the active involvement of fathers in the rearing and development of the children; two, it urges each father in America to accept his full share of responsibility for the lives of his children, to be actively involved in rearing the children and to encourage the academic, moral, and spiritual development of his children; and, thirdly, it encourages each father to devote time and energy and resources to his children, recognizing that children need not only material support, but, more importantly, the love of both parents, who provide an affectionate family environment.

I would also note that during consideration of this resolution by the Committee on Education and the Workforce, an amendment by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford) was unanimously accepted by the committee. This amendment added a clause urging the States to aggressively prosecute those fathers who failed to fulfill their legal responsibility to pay child support. I note that this amendment and modification is entirely consistent with the Deadbeat Fathers Punishment Act of 1998, which passed the House in May by a vote of 412 to 2.

In closing, I would like to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford) and all the members of the Task Force on Fatherhood Promotion, the majority and minority leadership and others involved for their efforts in this area. I urge my fellow Members to support this important resolution as we bring it to the House floor today, and, hopefully, we will have a unanimous vote in favor of it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh), on the birth of his first child. The committee selected him because he was a new father, I guess they selected me because I am an old father, being the father of 5 children, the grandfather of 14 children, and the great-grandfather of 2 children.

I can tell the gentleman that he has got a lot to look forward to, especially when those children just before his eyes grow into adults, get married, and have children of their own. That is the greatest time, because you get to take your grandchildren and spoil them and send them home to their parents to run their parents crazy.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution and this topic, the importance of fathers in the raising and the development of their children, is extremely important. The role of the father in the family has been one of the more prominent issues to gain public attention in recent years.

Too many of our children are growing up in families which do not have the benefit of a father. In fact, the percentage of children growing up in a home without their father nearly tripled between 1960 and the early 1990s. Today, over 24 million American children are living without their biological fathers.

Most importantly, fatherless homes have a devastating impact on our children. National research tells us that without a father, children are four times as likely to be poor, twice as likely to drop out of school, et cetera. Fatherless children also have a higher risk of suicide, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, and delinquency.

Clearly, the important role that fathers play in the development of their children cannot go unnoticed. Unfortunately, the issue of absentee fathers is not restricted to those who do not pay child support, or `deadbeat dads,’ as they are commonly referred to. Many fathers are tragically caught between their duties at work and their responsibilities to their families. The problems encountered by today’s families are not limited to deadbeat dads. Today’s families are also hampered by dead-tired dads, who want to be there for their children but do not have the time.

In closing, I want to say I am encouraged by the work of the Congressional Fatherhood Promotion Task Force. Their efforts, throughout this resolution and other activities, have begun to center attention on this very important issue. I believe this resolution sends a strong message which all Members should support. I certainly do.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), the author of this resolution.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues today to reiterate the importance of fatherhood in this country. As one of the cofounders of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Fatherhood Promotion, I am pleased to recognize the significance of this resolution.

Today, Members of Congress will commit to promoting the role that faithful, dedicated fathers play in the development of our young people and, indeed, of our Nation; and, how timely, for it is again that time of year when we honor our dads. In two Sundays, we will celebrate Father’s Day, a day to acknowledge the special place which dads hold in our hearts, and recognize dad’s role as father, husband, teacher, provider, care-giver, and friend.

Although every American has a father, not every American has a dad, one whom they know, love, spend time with and trust. Because of this fact, our country has suffered.

The United States is now the world’s leader in fatherless families. This has taken its toll in our society, when you need no longer talk about the Dan Quayle versus Murphy Brown debate. And we have a litany of statistics supporting the position that a family unit with mother and father is an ideal environment for our children.

The realities are staggering. Four in ten children who go to bed tonight will sleep in a home in which their fathers do not reside. Overall, nearly 2.5 million children will join the ranks of the fatherless this year. This is a sad commentary. We must each be committed to bringing this to an end.

But this is not just about fatherlessness. We as a society must work to elevate the importance of fathers who value their commitments. Men across America struggle to be good dads. Many of us are co-laborers in this struggle. This is why we as elected officials must be the ones to lead by example, to take up the bully pulpit in order to effect change in this spirit of this country.

Through the events of the Congressional Fatherhood Promotion Task Force, we have sought to heighten the discussion of responsible fatherhood and emphasize the importance of fatherhood in neighborhoods and in community forums across the country.

Working with the National Fatherhood Initiative, we are looking forward to the National Summit on Fatherhood next Monday. Leaders from across the country, from the highest levels of government here in Washington to sports figures such as Evander Holyfield, Michael Singletary and entertainment celebrities such as actor Tom Selleck, all will gather to honor the role of the father and to turn our momentum to action. We will gather at the J.W. Marriott next Monday for this fatherhood summit. All Members of Congress have been invited to take part in this event, and I hope many of them will come.

The time has come for fathers to take hold of and be proud of their role as dad. In the words of filmmaker John Singleton, `Any boy can make a baby; it takes a man to raise a son.’ The choice to place children above others is a noble one, and one which we as a society must recognize and reward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. In doing so, together, we can commit to promoting an office above all others in this country, that of the father.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read the comments of the testimony that heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield recently gave to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families of the Committee on Education and Workforce.

[TIME: 1430]

He said, `I, Evander Holyfield, did not meet my father until I was 21 years of age. I missed the advice, the guidance, and time that only a father can give. However, thanks to my mother, Annie Laura Holyfield, and my coach at the Warren Boys’ Club in Atlanta, Carter Morgan, I was given the faith, determination, and perseverance that helped make the boy into the man and father I am today.

`Perhaps the absence of my own father, but the presence of a strong and moral father figure in my childhood has helped me realize how important fatherhood is. In fact, being an active and caring father to my sons and daughters is just as important as being the three-time heavyweight champion of the world.’

The man became a three-time heavweight champion of the WORLD, thanks to his mother and the involvement of a father figure, a coach at Boys Club, and he says, himself a good father.  That’s success!   And this is used to justify that (because such people would rather have had their own fathers around) millions of US$$ should make sure others do NOT have this chance to prove themselves (nor do their mothers) but instead society should be re-arranged to put Dads back.

His wife spoke, and, finally, they said this: `As father and mother to our children, even with the time constraints of our careers, we realize the importance of quality time with our children. Not only is this our obligation as parents, but it is also one of our greatest sources of joy. We especially stress the areas of faith and education with our children. We love them; and loving children requires not just good intentions and feelings, but also time and attention.

`We reiterate our strong feelings about this important issue. And with God’s guidance and help, we will do our part in encouraging and elevating the status of fatherhood in America.’

Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Chair how much time is remaining on each side.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Upton). The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) has 8 minutes remaining. The gentleman from California (Mr. Martinez) has 17 1/2 minutes remaining.

Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior), the minority leader.

Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California for yielding to me.

First of all, Mr. Speaker, let me commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) for this resolution, also the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), and others who have worked on this, the gentleman from California (Mr.Martinez), and others on this side of the aisle, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) who care about this issue.

The life of a child, it goes without saying, is so critical and so important. Nobody can replace a father in the life of a child, nobody. Fathers are role models, and they are teachers, and they offer, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania mentioned in his comments by Mr. Holyfield, they offer the most important ingredients that a child could have in their childhood: love; guidance; encouragement; discipline, which is so critical, it would carry with a child throughout his or her life; wisdom; and, yes, inspiration.

Mr. Holyfield just witnessed that someone DID replace the role of a father for him, resulting with the care of his mother, in success and his own becoming a successful father also as an adult.  How does this justify the fatherhood resolution?    Because a grown resoundingly successful man raised by a single mother would have preferred to have his Dad there?

Fatherhood is a responsibility, perhaps one of the greatest responsibilities, in a man’s life. It is also one of the greatest joys that a man can have, along with the bumps along the way in raising a child, the joy of having the input, giving the love, providing the guidance, providing the inspiration, the encouragement when it is needed. These are all so very important in a child’s development.

And only Dads can give this, not mothers.

Mr. Speaker, America needs strong families, and America needs strong fathers. This resolution has been long in coming, and I am so proud of the fact that Members have decided to raise this issue to a higher level in the country today.

Congress recognizes the important role fathers play and honors fathers for their contribution. So it is with great pride that I rise today to thank my colleagues for offering this resolution, for recognizing fatherhood, for setting aside a day in which we can, as a community, come together and recognize the great values that emanate from fatherhood.

We sometimes talk about a lot of different issues in this institution, and we sometimes forget some of the very basic fundamental bedrock issues on which the others are built upon. Fatherhood is one of them. I am just very happy to be able to share some thoughts on this today.

I thank my colleagues for their leadership in this, and wish the event that will take place much success, and wish those who have put this together and who are trying to make sure that fatherhood is respected in this country and is honored. I thank them for their efforts.

Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre).

(Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

And finally . . . ..

FATHERHOOD (House of Representatives – June 12, 1997)

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(Mr. ISTOOK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ISTOOK. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the fathers who do it right. A good father should first be a good husband and show his children by example the love and respect that their mother should receive. A father is one who is there, who quietly and faithfully sees needs and fills them. From diapers to bicycles to homework to growing to adulthood, fathers must be powerful forces of leading by quiet example.

Fathers keep things strong and solid, but they keep it simple. My father set an example for hard work. He came home for dinner. He stayed with the family in the evening, but he had his own business to build and he went back to work late and would work until midnight and then be back home. He set an example.

My father helped me through college, the first to my knowledge in my whole family tree, to get a college degree.

When I married, my wife’s father took it on himself to stock our kitchen and our pantry with its first set of food and supplies for us. Simple but significant.

[TIME: 1015]

I hope and pray that I will be as good a father to my five children as my father has been to his five children and someday my two sons will be to theirs. Fathers like it simple. So to mine and all of ours, I simply say, thanks, Dad.

AND IN THE SENATE< QUITE A BIT OF ACTIVITY:

S. 1364:	Responsible Fatherhood Act of 1999
106th Congress 1999-2000

A bill to amend title IV of the Social Security Act to increase public awareness regarding the benefits of lasting and stable marriages and community involvement in the promotion of marriage and fatherhood issues, to provide greater flexibility in the Welfare-to-Work grant program for long-term welfare recipients and low income custodial and noncustodial parents, and for other purposes.

19 cosponsors along with Evan Bayh of Indiana:

This one didn’t get passed into law.  For the record, Title IV was amended in 1996 along the same lines.

7/14/1999–Introduced.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

– Title I: Public Awareness and Community Involvement in Fatherhood Issues

– Title II: Removal of Burdensome Federal Restrictions

Responsible Fatherhood Act of 1999 – Title: I Public Awareness and Community Involvement In Fatherhood Issues – Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States and territories to:

(1) develop and carry out media campaigns promoting the formation and maintenance of married two-parent families, strengthen fragile families,** and promote responsible fatherhood; and

(2) obtain donations of media access necessary for such campaigns.

Requires the Secretary to contract with a fatherhood promotion organization (meeting certain requirements) to:

(1) develop and distribute a media campaign to interested States, local governments, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations; and

(2) develop a national clearinghouse to assist States and communities to promote and support responsible fatherhood by making available to other States information regarding media campaigns and programs instituted by States using grant funds under this Act. Authorizes appropriations.

Amends SSA title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to mandate block grants to States to provide support to responsible fatherhood efforts of local governments, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations. Authorizes appropriations.

Title II – Removal of Burdensome Federal Restrictions

Amends SSA title IV part A with regard to TANF grant recipient requirements, custodial and non-custodial parent requirements, in-kind donations, additional use of TANF funds, and a TANF bonus to reward a State’s effort to encourage the formulation and maintenance of two-parent families.

Amends SSA title IV part D to give States various specified options to: (1) pass through directly to the family a portion of child support collected, including amounts collected pursuant to a continued assignment; (2) disregard child support received in determining a family’s eligibility for, or amount of, TANF assistance; and (3) use amounts collected by a State as child support, and otherwise payable to the Federal Government, to provide fatherhood services (especially to low income non-custodial fathers) encouraging the appropriate involvement of both parents in the life of any of their children.

How would women & mothers stand a chance in this scenario — especially if they didn’t happen to be reading the Congressional record or on familiar terms with their local legislators?  They are scandalized for receiving welfare, and some welfare funds are going to be redirected to encourage the fathers to get back in?  When some of this single-parent household relates to violence by those same fathers, or neglect?

Cosponsors of this were:

Cosponsors:

Zell Miller Spencer Abraham [R-MI] Jeff Bingaman [D-NM] John Breaux [D-LA] Paul Coverdell [R-GA] Thomas Daschle [D-SD]

Pete Domenici [R-NM] John Edwards [D-NC] Bob Graham [D-FL] James Jeffords [I-VT] Robert Kerrey [D-NE] Mary Landrieu [D-LA]

Joseph Lieberman [D-CT] Blanche Lincoln [D-AR] Richard Lugar [R-IN] Daniel Moynihan [D-NY] Charles Robb [D-VA] Richard Santorum [R-PA]

George Voinovich [R-OH]

The list below shows legislation in this and previous sessions of Congress that had the same title as this bill. Often bills are incorporated into other omnibus bills, and you may be able to track the status of provisions of this bill by looking for an omnibus bill below. Note that bills may have multiple titles.

108^th Congress: S. 604Dead

107^th Congress: S. 653Dead

107^th Congress: H.R. 1300Dead

106^th Congress: H.R. 4671Dead

3/12/2003–Introduced.

Responsible Fatherhood Act of 2003 – Amends part D (Child Support and Establishment of Paternity) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary to award grants to eligible States and entities to conduct demonstration programs to promote responsible fatherhood.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with a nonprofit fatherhood promotion organization to: (1) develop and distribute a media campaign that addresses the issue of responsible fatherhood to States, local governments, public agencies, and private entities; and (2) develop a national clearinghouse to assist States and community efforts to promote and support marriage and responsible fatherhood by disseminating information regarding media campaigns and programs instituted by States using grant funds under this Act.

6) Children who live without contact with their biological father are, in comparison to children who have such contact–

(A) 5 times more likely to live in poverty;

(B) more likely to bring weapons and drugs into the classroom;

(C) twice as likely to commit crime;

(D) twice as likely to drop out of school;

(E) more likely to commit suicide;

(F) more than twice as likely to abuse alcohol or drugs; and

(G) more likely to become pregnant as teenagers.

(7) Violent criminals are overwhelmingly males who grew up without fathers.

If our legislative bodies had more women participants (senators, representatives) there’d be a better understanding of the experience of motherhood (single or two-parent) and what contributes to crime and violence in the home — after all, mothers give birth to, nurse (if they can) and in many ways shepherd children through the school years; they are also the predominant sex in educational / teaching positions (if I”m not mistaken), which may also account for why it’s among the lowest paid professions around, per the recent Georgetown study on pay scales of college graduates by what field they are in.

‘(7) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008 for purposes of making grants to States under this subsection.

‘(b) GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES TO CONDUCT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS-

‘(1) AUTHORITY TO AWARD GRANTS-

‘(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to conduct demonstration programs to carry out the purposes described in (a)(2).

2011, same old behaviors:

Last Action
	H.R. 2193: Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2011	Introduced	Jun 15, 2011
	H.Res. 315: Recognizing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father’s Day.	Introduced	Jun 16, 2011
	H.R. 1135: Welfare Reform Act of 2011	Introduced	Mar 16, 2011
	H.R. 1167: Welfare Reform Act of 2011	Introduced	Mar 17, 2011

Congress further finds that it should also be the goal of the food stamp program to increase employment, to encourage healthy marriage, and to promote prosperous self-sufficiency which shall mean the ability of households to maintain an income above the poverty level without Government services and benefits.’.