Boehner Praises President Bush’s Leadership in
Fighting Child Abuse and Abduction
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, President Bush hosted the White
House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children. The
conference brought together members of the President’s Cabinet;
federal, state and local officials; law enforcement personnel; and
parents to focus on a wide range of topics related to child abuse,
including missing and exploited children; runaway and homeless youth;
international child abduction; sex trafficking of children; child
pornography; child safety and Internet safety, and corporate
and community involvement.
House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner
(R-OH) issued the following statement today:
“I would like to thank President Bush for hosting this important
conference today. He has set a tremendous example by convening this
first-ever conference on the safety of our children. This is another
example of his continued commitment to the youth of this nation.
“With nearly three million reports of possible child maltreatment
made to child welfare agencies each year, this problem remains a
serious one and deserves the full attention of Congress. We have the
responsibility to enact meaningful legislation to help protect our
children and provide them with a safe and happy childhood.
“This year, the Education & the Workforce Committee passed
the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act (H.R. 3839), which was
approved by the House by an overwhelming margin of 411-5. The
bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Select Education Subcommittee
Chairman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), promotes partnerships between child
protective services and private and community-based organizations to
ensure that assistance is provided in the most effective manner for
children caught in abusive situations. I strongly urge the Senate to
follow the House's lead and pass this critical measure.”
"Furthermore, yesterday the House passed a resolution,
authored by Education Reform Subcommittee Chairman Mike Castle (R-DE),
recognizing the importance of child safety and promoting federal,
state, and local partnerships to prevent the victimization of children
in the United States. I would like to commend Reps. Castle and
Hoekstra for their continued leadership on this issue. Protecting the
welfare of our nation's children is a critical step in ensuring that
all children grow up in a safe and loving environment.”
In his FY 2003 budget, President Bush includes a 26 percent
increase in funding for the Missing and Exploited Children's Program,
which provides training for state and local enforcement on handling
missing child cases.
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