Rod Grams: “I rise today to promote awareness of missing children and honor those who work to search and rescue the thousands of…”

“I rise today to promote awareness of missing children and honor those who work to search and rescue the thousands of children who disappear each year. As my colleagues may know, today is recognized as National Missing Children Day. In proclaiming the first National Missing Children Day in 1983, President Ronald Reagan noted, ``Our children are the Nation's most valuable and most vulnerable asset. They are our link to the future, our hope for a better life. Their protection and safety must be one of our highest priorities.'' Since that time, National Missing Children Day has been a reminder that we must strengthen our resolve to keep children safe. I believe that the Federal Government can help state and local law enforcement agencies reunite missing and runaway children with their families. In particular, the Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children Protection Act enacted by Congress last year is an example of an effective federal and state partnership that reduces crime and prevents missing children cases.”