Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Children and Families Day, in order to encourage adults in the United States to support and listen to children and to help children throughout the Nation achieve their hopes and dreams, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, a National Children and Families Day will encourage families to embrace the qualities needed to raise happy and healthy citizens. For example, families teach children the lessons they must learn to live productive and prosperous lives. They care for children by giving them love, warmth, and encouragement while providing food, shelter, and financial support. Strong families build trusting relationships by demonstrating commitment to all the members of the family. This includes following through with promises, working as a team, open and honest communication about important decisions and reflections on the passing day. All families experience crisis, but strong and committed families use these experiences to learn and to grow. Family members should spend time together talking, reading, playing games, and participating in outdoor activities. They should always encourage each other and be involved in their neighborhoods and community, where the strength of our Nation starts. A National Children and Families Day will highlight these important activities in which families engage and their positive effects on our nation.

A National Children and Families Day also would focus our attention on the need for citizens and Congress to work toward ensuring that every child has a loving family. It is so unfortunate that there are millions of children in our country who do not have the ability to experience on a daily basis, a regular basis, or even an occasional basis the love and care of a stable family relationship. These include children who are involved in the child welfare system.

A National Children and Families Day will help members of Congress focus on ways to enhance and improve the quality of life for all children and families via the programs under our jurisdictions, whether by supporting family-friendly business policies, quality health care, or quality child care. Strong families help make a strong Nation.

While we honor the 4th Saturday of June this year in recognition of the importance of children and their families, it must not stop on one day. Every day families must work at keeping each other strong and loved. And we as a Nation and Congress as a body must never cease our support for the American family and the children that are the future.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 62), supporting the goals and ideals of a National Children and Families Day, in order to encourage adults in the United States to support and listen to children and to help children throughout the Nation achieve their hopes and dreams, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, the most sacred institution of our society is that of the family. And within the family, its most precious asset, and that is its children. I stand before you today asking that my colleagues support me in

establishing a National Children and Families Day.

President Bush has stated that, ``Families instill in our children values; they shape character and are the foundation of a hopeful society.'' These are the goals for which we strive on National Children and Families Day. It is the intent of the National Children and Families Day to emphasize the importance of loving and stable relationships between parents, communities and children.

I once heard a teacher ask her class, What is the greatest Nation in the world? As the students muttered the names of countries worldwide, she pointed to her head and said, Imagination.

Through National Children and Families Day, I wish to cultivate and encourage the active imaginations of children, for we know that from creative and innovative thinking comes the ability to hope and dream for a brighter future.

Creating an environment that instills important values and builds strong character and provides sound education for our children is a vital national priority. With a firm foundation, children will be better able to face the challenges of the future.

As a legislator, I often find myself thinking of the countless children I represent whom I view as future voting constituents. And I think of how the policies we enact today could hinder or empower them 10, 15 or 20 years from now.

This, Mr. Speaker, is why I urge my colleagues to support National Children and Families Day.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, with so many distractions in our lives today, it is important to take a step back to acknowledge the central role that families play in the development of our Nation's youth. This resolution celebrates those aspects found in a positive family atmosphere which promotes healthy and well-adjusted young men and women.

It is true that the children are our future, and the strength of our country has been and will continue to be built on families providing educational, social, ethical and moral guidance to our children.

The devotion of time is one of the most important things we can do to help maintain a positive family environment. And while it may be difficult to find time in our hectic schedules, things as simple as playing with educational toys, reading together or visiting an age- appropriate museum will stimulate a child's curiosity that will be beneficial throughout their lives.

Also, something as easy as slowing down enough to take the time to listen to one another, maybe by having dinner as a family whenever possible is a time tested way to nurture a child through family participation during their formative years.

Young people are increasingly exposed to the stress and pressures of our modern society. In order to combat these negative influences, we must take it upon ourselves, as a society, to expose young people to loving and supporting families whenever possible. As an example, doing a community service project as a family is one of the many ways to teach children that to build a community and to thrive as a society, we should all share in assisting one another.

National Children and Families Day provides us an opportunity to recognize our responsibility to create family environments that nurture the next generation and to promote a positive environment for families across America.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 62.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 62, which supports the goals and ideals of National Children and Families Day. The purpose of H. Con. Res. 62 is to encourage adults to listen to children and to help children throughout the Nation achieve their hopes and dreams, and for other purposes.

As Chair of the Children's Caucus, I strongly believe that we must continue creating positive and effective support systems for our children so that they will become healthy, productive citizens. To do this, we must ensure that all of our children have access to quality education and healthcare. We must also give quality time to our children.

Mr. Speaker, National Children and Families Day encourages parents to spend time with their children and to spend time together around the dinner table.

Our young children are increasingly facing monumental challenges such as drug and alcohol addiction, pregnancy, depression, and obesity. We must invest the time and money in the necessary resources needed to help our children combat these challenges. I recently hosted a briefing, ``Childhood Obesity: Factors that are Impacting the Disproportionate Prevalence in Low-Income and Minority Communities,'' to discuss the causes of, and search for solutions to the childhood obesity epidemic. Eating dinner at the dinner table with parents is one of the suggested ways children may develop healthier eating habits.

According to research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. The research suggested that the conversations that go hand-in-hand with dinner will help parents learn more about their children's lives and better understand the challenges they face.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 62 to support the goals and ideals of a National Children and Families Day.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to H. Con. Res. 62.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.