Extension of Remarks - June 15, 2004

Honoring our nation's fathers

Mr. Speaker, 

We often hear negative comments about fathers and fatherhood, about “deadbeat dads” and absent fathers.

It’s easy to forget that there are millions of American fathers who love their wives and their children.

They get up every morning and go to work to support their families.

They go to baseball games and ballet performances and school plays.

They help their kids with their homework, chaperone proms and mow the lawn.

They treat their wives with respect and model healthy relationships.

They make sacrifices and invest in the next generation.

Current research shows that these daily acts of responsibility and faithfulness have a major impact on child well-being.

Statistics show us that marriage is the foundation of responsible fatherhood, and that fathers who are married to the mothers of their children are more likely to be involved in their children’s lives.

But, we don’t need statistics to tell us that committed, involved fathers are essential to the preservation of the family.

On Sunday, thousands of families in my district will celebrate Father’s Day.

Amid all the distractions of our society, many will stop, for just a minute, to honor “Dad.”

It seems that politics and social change and the faddish nature of our culture have not been able to erase the enduring value of fatherhood and the imprint that fathers have in my district and across this great nation.