Michigan Democrats and HR 162: Have Families and Children Been Betrayed?

On Saturday, August 18, 2007, a national rally was held in Washington, DC in honor of Family Preservation Day.
To commemorate this special day, a resolution was introduced in the State House of Representatives on August 8 by Rep. Glenn Steil. This resolution, HR 162, had bi-partisan support, with ten Democrats joining nineteen Republicans as co-sponsors.

HR 162 failed, because it was passed to Rep. Brenda Clack's Family and Children's Services Committee, and she declined to respond to requests to take up the resolution. House Democrat Floor Leader Steve Tobocman refused requests that HR 162 be "discharged to the floor", which would free it from the committee process, and free it up for immediate discussion and a vote. These requests were verified by Phillip Wurm of the non-profit organization A Child's Right.

Phillip Wurm, the West Michigan Regional Director of A Child's Right, further verified that Democratic Floor Leader Tobocman's office repeatedly stated the resolution was only about joint custody (in a divorce/separation matter), and would not discharge it to the floor. Tobocman's largest problem was that the date of the rally was put in the resolution, so to pass the resolution would be to endorse the rally.

Following is the wording for House Resolution 162: