Recognizing Gail Abarbanel and the Rape Treatment Center, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support House Resolution 716, which commends Gail Abarbanel for her dedication to advancing forensic sciences and reducing the DNA evidence backlog. Ms. Abarbanel is the founder of the Rape Treatment Center at the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, where she established the Fast Track Forensics Program.

I would like to thank a good friend and colleague, Patrick Kennedy, for his sponsorship of this bill, as well as for his longstanding dedication to people in need. His compassion for others will be remembered and missed after he leaves Congress later this year.

One of the most significant issues facing the criminal justice system today is the substantial backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples and biological evidence from crime scenes. This issue is particularly urgent in sexual assault and murder cases.

The Fast Track Forensics Program was developed by Gail Abarbanel to help crime laboratories speed up the processing of DNA evidence. This in turn gives local law enforcement agencies a headstart on bringing criminals to justice.

DNA evidence is important in cases where a suspect has been identified and proof is needed to link the suspect to a crime scene or victim. It is equally important in cases where there is no suspect. In a case without a suspect, DNA from the crime scene or the victim can be compared to offender profiles in DNA databases in an effort to identify and apprehend the perpetrator. DNA technology that improves the analysis process is increasingly vital to ensure accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system.

In 2008, Congress reauthorized the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, which provides Federal grants to States to help fund initiatives such as the Fast Track Forensics Program. Programs designed to help alleviate DNA backlogs are imperative in ensuring that this forensic evidence is preserved, tested, and used in criminal cases to bring violent offenders to justice. Congress must continue its commitment to assisting backlog initiatives. This is especially true for rape and sexual assault cases.

In the United States, a person is sexually assaulted every 2\1/2\ minutes. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, the Nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization, one of every six American women will be the victim of an attempted or actual rape in her lifetime. With the use of DNA, our State and local law enforcement agencies and officials can bring these attackers to justice.

The development of programs such as the Fast Track Forensics Program is important to our criminal justice system. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of H. Res. 716, a resolution recognizing the crucial services provided through the Rape Treatment Center, RTC, at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and to honor Gail Abarbanel, the founder and director of the RTC.

The Rape Treatment Center, RTC, is nationally recognized for its exemplary treatment, education, and prevention programs, and has provided expert care for over 35,000 sexual assault victims. According to the latest statistics, one person is sexually assaulted in the United States every 2\1/2\ minutes. While an attack can occur in an instant, the social and emotional trauma can last a lifetime. The RTC, and the work of Gail Abarbanel, provide crucial insight to understanding that sexual assault victims suffer long after the assault has occurred. Her work and the work of the Center helps these individuals fully recover, addressing the social, emotional and physical pain resulting from such violence.

In many states DNA evidence processing suffers delays of up to 6 months to a year, hampering investigations and jeopardizing public safety. These untested rape kits represent lost justice for the victims who reported their rape to the police, and consented to the 4-to-6 hour rape kit collection process.

In response to the delays suffered by victims in her own state, Ms. Abarbanel created a pilot program called the Fast Track Forensics Program, FTF. Through the FTF Program, the RTC has partnered with California's state DNA laboratory for immediate processing and then possible identification within the state and Federal DNA offender databases. This has resulted in processing that takes approximately 4 days.

I encourage my colleagues to join me today in commending the important work of Gail Abarbanel and the Rape Treatment Center, along with emphasizing the need to eliminate the delays in testing rape kits through innovative programs such as the FTF Program.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 716) recognizing Gail Abarbanel and the Rape Treatment Center, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Gail Abarbanel is the director of the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center's nationally known Rape Treatment Center. In 1974, the center became one of the first hospitals in the United States for establishing a protocol for treating victims of sexual assault. Today, under the leadership of Ms. Abarbanel, the Rape Treatment Center serves as a national model for its exemplary treatment, education, and prevention programs.

She is also responsible for innovative programs such as the Stuart House for sexually abused children and the Verna Harrah Clinic to provide state-of-the-

art medical care and forensic exams to rape victims. She was a driving force behind efforts to change the way rape and other sexual crimes are viewed in society and how victims are treated by law enforcement officials and medical personnel, and, most importantly, the judicial system itself.

I commend Representative Patrick Kennedy for introducing this resolution to recognize Ms. Abarbanel's groundbreaking work on behalf of sexual assault victims.

I urge Members to support the resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to congratulate the author of this resolution, Mr. Patrick Kennedy, and also his original cosponsors, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Berman, Mr. Wexler and Ms. Rosa DeLauro. I think this is an excellent resolution. I thank the ranking member for his remarks.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I regret that I was unable to participate in a series of votes on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, November, 16, 2010.

Had I been present to vote on rollcall No. 569, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 716, I would have voted ``aye'' on the question.

Had I been present to vote on rollcall No. 570, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1475, I would have voted ``aye'' on the question.

Had I been present to vote on rollcall No. 571, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1428, I would have voted ``aye'' on the question.