Designating November 9th of each year as "Gold Star Father's Day".

IA 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 65 Designating November 9th of each year as ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 25, 2023 Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself and Mr. FERGUSON) submitted the fol- lowing joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability JOINT RESOLUTION Designating November 9th of each year as ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’. Whereas thousands of men and women have laid down their lives to defend the liberty and soul of our Nation, and families of fallen members of the Armed Forces have lost their loved ones in service to our country; Whereas families of members of the Armed Forces dem- onstrate a different kind of heroism, supporting children and family members while loved ones are deployed, sacri- ficing holidays with members who are serving overseas, and facing each day knowing their loved one might be in danger and could never return home; Whereas, before the Iraq war, the United States had lost over 1,300,000 members of the Armed Forces during wartime, and, since October 2001, over 4,400 members of the VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Jun 09, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HJ65.IH HJ65 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HJ 65 IH Armed Forces have lost their lives serving this country, leaving thousands of family members behind; Whereas, in 2015, the Gold Star Fathers Act was signed into law to ensure Gold Star Fathers were eligible for the same benefits guaranteed to mothers of fallen or perma- nently disabled members of the Armed Forces, honoring their sacrifice and loss, but this legislation did not des- ignate a Gold Star Father’s Day; Whereas, in 1936, Congress designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day; Whereas President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. designated Sep- tember 25, 2022, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day, President Donald Trump designated September 24, 2017, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day, and Presi- dent Barack Obama proclaimed September 25, 2016, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day; Whereas, on March 24, 2017, the Georgia House of Rep- resentatives adopted House Resolution 723, recognizing November 9 as Georgia Gold Star Father’s Day; Whereas Father’s Day honors and celebrates fatherhood and the unique bonds between a father and his children; and Whereas the goals of ‘‘Gold Star Father’s Day’’ on November 9 are to— (1) honor and celebrate fathers who have lost chil- dren in service to the United States; (2) honor fathers of fallen members of the Armed Forces and recognize that they, as parents, have experi- enced extraordinary and unimaginable loss; (3) recognize the need to support families of mem- bers of the Armed Forces throughout the United States; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Jun 09, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HJ65.IH HJ65 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HJ 65 IH (4) honor the courage of fathers who understand the true price of freedom and now face Father’s Day without their child or children: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 1 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 That Congress supports the designation of ‘‘Gold Star Fa- 3 ther’s Day’’. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Jun 09, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HJ65.IH HJ65 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB