Expressing support for designation of a "National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day".

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of this resolution expressing support for the designation of a National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day. Mr. Speaker, I think it is critical that we recognize the service that our Nation's funeral directors and morticians provide at one of the most difficult times in a person's life. Death is something that affects us all. It sees no boundaries, nor does it discriminate among social or economic classes. It hits us all in different ways, but one thing is for certain: the time immediately following the death of a loved one is one of the most trying times for anyone. It is during this critical time that funeral directors and morticians from around the country provide our Nation's citizens with the support and guidance necessary to make the right decisions for their beloved ones.

This allows for those who are grieving to concentrate on what is most important: supporting family and friends. Funeral directors and morticians have the arduous task of carrying out the final wishes of the deceased. They are involved in all details of the process, everything from arranging for pallbearers to making sure that the correct paperwork is completed to file for appropriate certificates with the State.

They are tasked with demonstrating the same compassion with every family they meet, as if that family is the most important family that the funeral director has ever met.

It is also important to recognize that most funeral homes are small, family-owned and operated facilities. These individuals work long, irregular hours and contribute to the economic well-being of communities around our Nation.

Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, I believe recognizing those in this caring community is long overdue. They are entrusted with the enormous task of making the last hours you will have with the earthly remains of loved ones as peaceful as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in supporting this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Wilson) for his service, and I urge all Members to support the passage of H. Res. 892.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 892 which I introduced to express the support for the establishment of the National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day.

I introduced this resolution because I know firsthand how funeral directors help families through the grieving process in a most difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I am a fourth generation funeral director in my family, and I know very well the profound service that funeral directors provide to their communities. Funeral directors are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When a family calls a funeral director to make arrangements for a recently deceased loved one, the funeral director must put everything else on hold and attend to the family's needs immediately.

We all know that the death of a loved one can be emotionally devastating. Funeral directors play an essential role in giving families the space they need to navigate the grieving process. By taking care of all of the logistical arrangements, funeral directors allow families to celebrate the life of the recently departed and spending time together as a family.

Funeral directors also provide a major public service by participating in planning for pandemic disease and other mass casualty events that could happen within their community. Because of their familiarity with the physical aspects of death, they provide invaluable technical knowledge and assistance to public officials who are responsible for contingency planning.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that funeral homes are also economic anchors of their community. The funeral business is often a family business with multiple generations serving the community as funeral directors. Through good economic times and bad, funeral directors are there to serve their families with caring compassion and certainly with strict integrity.

As a lifelong funeral director, I know how important this service is to grieving families. This is why I think that it is proper that this Congress recognize the hard work and the sacrifice of thousands of funeral directors in this country by passing this bill. I thank Chairman Waxman for his support in this measure, and I urge the Congress to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 892) expressing support for designation of March 11, 2008, as ``National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day,'' as amended.

Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the fact that one of our colleagues, Representative Wilson who I am proud to say is from the State of Ohio, has a family-owned business and is a funeral director, I yield him such time as he may consume.

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

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution. I am from Cleveland, Ohio, and all of us know in any community we are from, we come into contact with funeral directors and morticians. Funeral directors make it possible for families to be able to find a way to come to grips with a passing. Those transitions in life are very important moments for the survivors because we need help in being able to deal with a situation when we lose a loved one, and funeral directors perform a very valuable service.

I know as someone who represents the people of Cleveland that when I go to pay my respects to someone who has passed, I have the opportunity not only to meet the families that are grieving and comfort them, but also to see the work that is being done by those who are directing the funeral. It is something that is easy to lose sight of when you are moving into territory that is laden with grief. But it is also something that is appropriate for us at this

moment to pay tribute to because everyone who is involved in that work really has to achieve a level of sensitivity and compassion and caring so that they can help families deal with what for many is one of the most serious moments of their lives involving the passing of a loved one.

I want to thank Representative Wilson for his choice of career and his family's commitment to providing that kind of compassionate service to people, and also my colleague, Representative Foxx, for supporting this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 892, a resolution that designates March 11 as ``National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day.''

Funeral directors and morticians are vitally important in helping families mourn death, celebrate a life, and begin the process of closure. They also give advice on the decisions one needs to make as a caretaker and as a provider of a funeral service. According to the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association, ``The funeral ritual is helpful and valuable for all who feel the loss of the deceased. It validates life and allows us to go on living. The ritual aspect is important for closure and social reasons. Attending the funeral allows us to deal with the loss, says goodbye, and reaffirms the importance of living.''

Mayor Bill Sandberg of North Saint Paul, who died on April 20, 2007, was one of my mentors. He spent his career as a funeral director in the St. Paul area and was active in the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association and a Heritage Club member of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). NFDA was established in 1882 in order to better serve the public and its members. Today, it is the oldest and largest national funeral service organization in the world.

I want to thank funeral directors and morticians for their dedication to this profession and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.