By unanimous consent, the House approved a resolution on March 26 (H. Res. 57) expressing the sense of the House that the goals and ideals of “National Runaway Prevention Month” should be recognized and supported. The resolution, sponsored by Reps. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Steve Israel (D-NY), notes studies suggesting that between 1.3 and 2.8 million children live on the streets of the United States each year, and that 1 out of 7 American youth will run away from home before the age of 18.
Pointing to President Bush’s October 2002 conference on missing, exploited, and runaway children, Rep. Biggert noted that the focus of most attention was on abducted and exploited children. “And rightly so,” Rep. Biggert continued. “One child abduction is one too many. But let us put the problem of child abductions into perspective. Five times as many children run away as are abducted in this country, and one runaway child is also one too many. … And each year, assault, illness, or suicide will take the lives of 5,000 runaway youth. That is 5,000 too many.”
