House Approves Resolution Supporting Responsible Fatherhood

On June 13, the House approved, 407-0, a resolution (H. Res. 318) supporting responsible fatherhood, promoting marriage, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children.

Sponsored by Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• girls who live apart from their biological fathers are, in comparison to other children, five 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;
• in a study of fathers’ interaction with their children in two-parent families, nearly 90 percent of the fathers surveyed said that being a father is the most fulfilling role a man can have; and
• children with fathers at home tend to do better in school, to be less prone to emotional and behavioral problems, and to have more successful relationships.Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE) said that “unfortunately, far too many children today are growing up without the presence of their father, with 24 million children in our country, approximately one-third of all American children, living apart from their biological fathers.” Rep. Osborne went on to say that “we must work harder to make sure that marriage and fatherhood is encouraged and supported in our society.”“Children who develop relationships with their fathers are more likely to develop healthy adult relationships and to feel secure regarding who they are. A father’s presence in a child’s life is a powerful deterrent to delinquency,” said Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).