[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1] [House] [Pages 689-691] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 990) expressing support for designation of January 2010 as ``National Mentoring Month''. The Clerk read the title of the resolution. The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 990 Whereas mentoring is a longstanding tradition in which a dependable, caring adult provides guidance, support, and encouragement to facilitate a young person's social, emotional, and cognitive development; Whereas continued research on mentoring shows that formal, high-quality mentoring focused on developing the competence and character of the mentee promotes positive outcomes, such as improved academic achievement, self-esteem, social skills, and career development; Whereas further research on mentoring provides strong evidence that mentoring successfully reduces substance use and abuse, academic failure, and delinquency; Whereas mentoring, in addition to preparing young people for school, work, and life, is extremely rewarding for those serving as mentors; Whereas more than 4,700 mentoring programs in communities of all sizes across the United States focus on building strong, effective relationships between mentors and mentees; Whereas approximately 3,000,000 young people in the United States are in solid mentoring relationships due to the remarkable vigor, creativity, and resourcefulness of the thousands of mentoring programs in communities throughout the Nation; Whereas in spite of the progress made to increase mentoring, the United States has a serious ``mentoring gap'', with nearly 15,000,000 young people in need of mentors; Whereas mentoring partnerships between the public and private sectors bring State and local leaders together to support mentoring programs by preventing duplication of efforts, offering training in industry best practices, and making the most of limited resources to benefit young people in the United States; [[Page 690]] Whereas the designation of January 2010 as ``National Mentoring Month'' will help call attention to the critical role mentors play in helping young people realize their potential; Whereas a month-long celebration of mentoring will encourage more individuals and organizations, including schools, businesses, nonprofit organizations, faith institutions, and foundations, to become engaged in mentoring across the United States; and Whereas National Mentoring Month will, most significantly, build awareness of mentoring and encourage more people to become mentors and help close the mentoring gap in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) supports the designation of ``National Mentoring Month''; (2) recognizes with gratitude the contributions of the millions of caring adults and students who are already volunteering as mentors and encourages more adults and students to volunteer as mentors; and (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe National Mentoring Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of, and volunteer involvement with, youth mentoring. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California. General Leave Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 990 into the Record. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from California? There was no objection. Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 990, which recognizes January as National Mentoring Month. Today we acknowledge and thank the millions of caring adults and students who volunteer as mentors, and we commend their efforts. National Mentoring Month serves as a great opportunity to encourage others to get involved mentoring and volunteering their time. Mentors directly improve the lives of those who are in need of guidance by providing support, care, and encouragement to facilitate a younger person's development in life. Research consistently proves, Madam Speaker, that mentors bolster academic achievement, self-esteem, social skills, and career development. In addition to these positive outcomes, mentoring reduces delinquency, substance abuse, and academic failure. Mentoring, whether it is for school work or life in general, helps young people realize that a better life is attainable, and it helps them to obtain the tools they need to succeed. Today, there are over 4,700 mentoring programs in communities all across the United States serving approximately 3 million young people. This country, however, is in need of more mentors to help fill the gap and reach the nearly 15 million young people who would benefit from a positive, solid mentoring relationship. As a Nation, we must continue to encourage volunteers to invest their human capital in our youth. Through nonprofit government and private sector partnerships, we can expand mentoring. {time} 1430 The National Mentoring Month is a reminder to reinvest our energy towards mentoring relationships. By building awareness on this issue, we can encourage more people to serve as mentors. Madam Speaker, once again, I express my support, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 990, expressing support for the designation of January 2010 as National Mentoring Month, and I am glad we are doing it before it's over. National Mentoring Month celebrates mentors who are positively impacting the lives of people and highlights the need for additional mentors to make themselves available for America's youth. Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support, and encouragement, all aimed at developing the confidence and character of the mentee. A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides a young person with support, counsel, friendship, and positive reinforcement. By all estimates, almost 18 million young people--nearly half of the population of young people between the ages of 10 and 18--live in situations that put them at risk of not living up to their potential. Without immediate intervention by caring adults, they can make choices that not only undermine their futures but, ultimately, the economic and social well-being of our Nation. Research shows that formal, high-quality mentoring focused on developing the competence and character of the mentee promotes positive outcomes such as improved academic achievement, self-esteem, career development, and social skills. By honoring mentors and mentoring programs, we recognize the importance of mentoring programs implemented in our local schools and communities. We also draw attention to the components of a quality program, including appropriate screening of potential mentors and careful matching of youth with adults who have a genuine interest in providing guidance and being exemplary role models. Today, thanks to the commitment and dedication of mentoring advocates, 3 million young people are now enjoying mentoring's many benefits through school-based, faith-based, and community organizations. It's a six-fold increase in formal mentoring relationships since the early 1990s. Today we recognize the contribution mentors make to the lives of the Nation's youth. The time adults take to serve as a mentor provides children and young adults with a positive adult example and support system. Adult mentors should be recognized for their contributions and efforts, and, therefore, I urge Members to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the sponsor of this legislation, the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Congresswoman McCollum). Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Mentoring Caucus, I rise today in strong support for designating January 2010 as National Mentoring Month. Thank you to Chairman Miller and Chairwoman Woolsey for bringing this legislation to the floor. I would also like to thank the other chairs in the Mentoring Caucus, Mrs. Davis of California and Mr. Rogers of Michigan, who are original cosponsors of this legislation. We all have an important role to play in the lives of young people around us. Our entire community needs to be part of the process in shaping young lives to become responsible citizens. When caring adults make connections and provide guidance to our youth, it makes a positive impact on their lives. A local newspaper in Minnesota recently ran an article about the enormous difference mentoring makes in someone's life. All of us have experienced that personally. For far too many young people and children, they just might not have a strong adult presence in their lives. Mentors encourage the development of strong characters and healthy identities. That's a fact. We have the data to back that up. Studies show that young adults who have mentors are less likely to experiment with drugs, skip school, or become involved in criminal activity; and at the same time, students are more likely to be confident, make good grades and graduate from high school and improve their self-esteem when they have a mentor. When these students grow up, they are more likely to be better parents, better neighbors, in general, better citizens. Nationally, there is an estimated mentoring gap of 15 million at-risk young people who need and who would benefit greatly from a mentor. In Minnesota alone, there are more than 250,000 students who fall into this gap. I sponsored this resolution to help raise awareness of this gap and of the [[Page 691]] many benefits of mentoring for both the mentee and the mentor and to encourage more people to volunteer their time and to invest in a child's well-being and their future. Mentorship does not end with childhood. Whether you're asking a neighbor to assist you after you've had your first child or you're seeking a person at work or your place of worship to guide you through these tough decisions, mentoring benefits people of all ages. My life has personally been filled with many mentors from my childhood right up until today. Congressman Bruce Vento--whose seat I now hold--mentored me from my early days in politics until I decided to run for Congress. And you never know where you might find a mentor. Many in this Chamber might have been surprised that one of my closest mentors was Congressman Henry Hyde from Illinois. He helped me understand the history and the greatness of this institution, and he taught me by example that elected officials should always, always respect one another in debate and always respect one another especially when we disagree. I encourage all of my colleagues to look for opportunities to mentor our youth, and they can start by doing that today by voting ``yes'' on this resolution. Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 990, ``Expressing support for designation of January 2010 as ``National Mentoring Month'' and for other purposes, introduced by my distinguished colleague from Minnesota, Representative McCollum. ``National Mentoring Month,'' since January 2002, has been a national initiative and an annual campaign focusing attention on the need of mentors to mentees, and to promote youth mentoring with the message that, ``If we--individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities, and nonprofits--can work together to increase the number of mentors, we assure brighter futures for our young people.'' This annual initiative and campaign is spearheaded by the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Arizona Senator John McCain, music producer Quincy Jones, poet Maya Angelou, music recording artist Usher, and actor Clint Eastwood, have all endorsed the campaigns for National Mentoring Month. A highlight of the campaign is the ``Thank You Mentor Day,'' in which mentees thank and honor their mentors for their mentorship. Mentees are encouraged to reach out to their mentors to express their appreciation. Mentees also have the options of posting a tribute to their mentor or mentors on WhoMentoredYou.org, to become a mentor in their local communities, and/ or make a financial contribution to a mentoring program. Dr. Jay A. Winsten, as associate dean at the Harvard School of Public Health stated that, ``Youth mentoring is a highly effective public health intervention. Research has shown that programs that rely on volunteer mentors can play a powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence, while greatly enhancing a young person's prospects for leading a healthy and productive life.'' Mentoring is a long-standing tradition where mentors provide guidance, support, encouragement and aid in promoting positive outcomes, in the areas of career and social development in helping young people realize and reach their full potential. I agree with Ms. Nicola Goren, the Director of the Corporation, in the regard that, ``Our nation's success depends on helping every child succeed and reach their full potential in life and that mentoring strengthens our nation's economic and social well-being by influencing the life choices of young people with a caring adult.'' More than 4,700 mentoring programs in communities of all sizes across the United States focus on building strong relationships and 3,000,000 young people are in mentoring programs throughout the United States. In making January a month-long celebration of mentoring, it will call action to the important role and responsibility that all mentors play in the shaping of the young people of America, and will encourage more individuals and organizations to become engaged in this nationwide effort across this great Nation in building awareness of this national initiative and campaign for mentorship for our youth. I would like to personally encourage all the members of Congress to either become a mentor or to encourage a friend or family member today to become a mentor, not only for our youth, but for this country. Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 990, which recognizes January as National Mentoring Month. With that, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 990. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________