Recognizing the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support for H. Res. 738, Recognizing the 15th Anniversary of the Enactment of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. I express my gratitude to Ms. Slaughter for her leadership in introducing this important bill. This is legislation that I have worked on since becoming a member of the House Judiciary Committee in 1995 and I have worked with my colleagues through the years to improve the legislation.

The need for such legislation is punctuated by the tragic murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le. While an investigation into this matter is still ongoing, Ms. Le's death appears to have been related to her wedding scheduled for today. As a Yale alumnae, I'm particularly grieved by this tragedy, and my heart and sympathies go out to Ms. Le, her family, and her mourning fiancee, on what would have been their wedding day.

Ms. Le's murder in a Yale research building shows that domestic violence has no barriers, and crosses racial, ethnic, and economic boundaries. It is in this backdrop that we celebrated legislation proposing a federal response to the problem of violence against women.

A review of history shows that the first legislative action on this matter was introduced in 1990, although such violence was first identified as a serious problem by Congress in the 1970s. In 1994, this legislative action culminated by the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Funding under the bill emphasized enforcement as well as educational and social programs to prevent crime. The focus of the funding was on local government programs, an approach that the sponsors of the bill believed was the most promising technique for reducing crime and violence. They also cautioned that, because of the variety of programs funded through the states, the impact of the bill may be difficult to quantify. Funding through FY2000 was authorized through the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund (VCRTF). Authorization for VCRTF expired at the end of FY2000. Nonetheless, most of the programs in VAWA received appropriations for FY2001.

On October 28, 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, which included the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. The Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA 2000) continued to support VAWA by reauthorizing existing programs and adding new initiatives, including grants to assist victims of dating violence, transitional housing for victims of violence, a pilot program aimed at protecting children during visits with a parent who has been accused of domestic violence, and protections from violence for elderly and disabled women. It also made technical amendments, and required grant recipients to submit reports on the effectiveness of programs funded by the grants to aid with the dissemination of information on successful programs. The bill amended the Public Health Service Act to require that certain funds be used exclusively for rape prevention and education programs. Moreover, the bill made it easier for battered immigrant women to leave and to help prosecute their abusers.

This last element is important to note. Under the old law, battered immigrant women could be deported if they left abusers who are their sponsors for residency and citizenship in the United States. VAWA 2000 created special rules for alien battered spouses and children to allow them to remain in the United States.

The original VAWA, established within DOJ and HHS discretionary grant programs for state, local, and Indian tribal governments. VAWA 2000 reauthorized many VAWA programs, set new funding levels, and created new grant programs to address sexual assaults on campuses and assist victims of domestic abuse.

VAWA 2000 also authorized the Attorney General to award grants to private nonprofit entities, Indian tribal governments, and publically funded organizations to increase the availability of legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault in legal matters, such as immigration, housing matters, and protection orders, at minimum or no cost to the victim. These grants may be used to establish or expand cooperative efforts between victim services organizations and legal assistance providers, by providing training, technical assistance, and data collection.

VAWA 2000 included grants to be administered by HHS for short-term transitional housing assistance and support services for victims of domestic abuse. The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 and the PROTECT Act authorized funding of both HHS and DOJ transitional housing assistance programs for victims of domestic violence.

VAWA 2000 amended the language of the existing STOP grants and ``Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies'' to provide funds to increase protection of older individuals and individuals with disabilities from domestic violence and sexual assault through policies and training for police, prosecutors, and the judiciary. It

also created new grants, administered by the Attorney General, for training programs to assist law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and court officials in addressing, investigating and prosecuting instances of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and violence against individuals with disabilities, including domestic violence and sexual assault.

VAWA 2000 authorized the Attorney General to award grants to state, local, and Indian tribal governments to provide supervised visitation and safe visitation exchange for children involved in situations of domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual assault.

Several studies were authorized in VAWA 2000. These included studies of (1) insurance discrimination against victims of domestic violence; (2) workplace effects of violence against women; (3) unemployment compensation for women who are victims of violence; and (4) parental kidnapping. VAWA 2000 also required the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop a research agenda and plans to implement the agenda based on the National Academy of Sciences' recommendations in the report Understanding Violence Against Women.

VAWA 2000 contains the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000, which provides for increased protection of immigrant women who are victims of domestic abuse, and creates special rules for alien battered spouses and children to allow them to remain in the United States. VAWA 2000 also established a task force to coordinate research on domestic violence.

VAWA 2000 established a definition for ``dating violence'' and amended the existing law so that STOP grants, Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies, and Rural Domestic Violence grants can be awarded for programs to combat dating violence, defined as violence committed by a person (A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and (B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors: (I) the length of the relationship; (ii) the type of relationship; and (iii) the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

In 2005, Congress reauthorized VAWA, through the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005). VAWA 2005 reauthorized many existing programs for FY2007 through FY2011, and authorized a number of new programs for victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The act emphasized collaboration among law enforcement, health and housing professionals, and women, men, and youth alliances, and encouraged community initiatives to address these issues.

VAWA 2005 advanced the ball to protect battered women and children. Specifically, VAWA 2005 programs sought to focus on young victims of violence; improve the health care system's response to violence; inform the public and employers about domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; protect the privacy of victims of violence; provide housing assistance, including public housing, for battered women and children; and support outreach efforts to underserved populations such as ethnic, immigrant, and racial populations.

In an effort to more closely monitor the status and performance of some of these programs, VAWA 2005 provided for some grant recipients to submit reports on policies and procedures they followed. The act also provided funding for studies and research on effective interventions that prevent both acts and effects of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Over the past 15 years, the federal government, with the use of the public treasury has funded interventions which have lowered assault rates. This intervention is estimated to have saved over $14 billion in public safety resources that would have been required had VAWA programs not prevented or addressed cases of domestic violence in each of the fifty states and all of the U.S. territories.

I have worked with formidable organizations such as Texans Against Sexual Assault, who work to bring voices to women who have been victims of sexual crimes, and helping them along an emotional recovery. Also, the Texas Council on Family Violence, which has connected more than 15,000 Texas victims of domestic violence with emergency shelter and protection.

In 2005, I offered an Amendment to the VAWA to provide $2 million for the Office on Violence Against Women, the Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs account for ``child abuse training programs for judicial personnel and practitioners.'' This allocation would be offset by the Edward Byre Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and transferring the funds to the Office on Violence Against Women, Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Program. Instead, I proposed that this money be channeled to a program that has been significantly under-funded for many years, the Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Program's account for child abuse training programs for judicial personnel and practitioners as authorized by section 222 of the 1990 Act. Domestic Violence is of the utmost concern, to me and my constituents. However, in the past, the chronic lack of funding and resources has left a number of child victims in the cold to cope with the horrible and immense physical and psychological effects of the abuse that they have endured.

As we look down the road for future VAWA reauthorizations, I urge my colleagues to focus on how we can take a more comprehensive look at domestic violence. Indeed, violence between family members and others related by special relations requires a dedication of resources to address problems that could be addressed by conflict management counseling and other mental health treatment. Indeed, juvenile justice data shows that families who are separated as a result of VAWA programs may also have an unintended consequence of contributing to juvenile delinquency, particularly amongst children of color, young boys in particular.

Together we must take a stand and work together for Women's rights, as well as the rights for families. We must work on building a brighter future, and make gender based and family based violence a thing of the past. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to introduce H. Res. 738 to recognize the accomplishments we have made in the fight to end violence against women in the United States in the fifteen years since President Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act into law on September 13, 1994 as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. This recognized the severity of the crimes associated with domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, we have made great progress.

In 1993, a woman was raped every six seconds in the United States and a female was beaten every 15 seconds.

In July 1994, there were three times as many animal shelters in the United States as battered women shelters.

No doubt about it--the Violence Against Women Act has vastly improved access to support and care to women and families who are victims of domestic violence and stalking.

During a time, when women were still considered secondary to men, my colleagues of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues and I battled to explain the importance of protecting women form the horrors of violence and abuse.

In the House, I worked with former Representatives Patricia Schroeder, Constance Morella and now Senators Olympia J. Snowe, and Barbara Boxer and Chuck Schumer to author the Violence Against Women Act. In the Senate, Vice President Biden, then the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, championed the Senate version of VAWA.

The 1994 bill was a watershed, marking the first comprehensive legislative package designed to end violence against women. The protections and provisions afforded by the 1994 law were subsequently expanded and improved in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 and they Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005.

VAWA has led to the reduction of domestic violence incidents reported. By reducing the need for emergency and medical responses, VAWA has averted more than $14 billion dollars in societal costs as VAWA-funded interventions have lowered domestic violence frequency and sexual assault rates.

VAWA has succeeded in bringing communities together to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Prior to VAWA, few helping systems in a community addressed these crimes. Now law enforcement, prosecution, the courts, victim services and community based programs work together on the grassroots and statewide levels to develop long-term plans for addressing the crimes. VAWA has brought innovative practices to the field by funding demonstration projects, trainings, and supporting the development of specialized courts and police teams.

The Sexual Assault Services Program, created in VAWA 2005, enabled the country's 1300 rape crisis centers to reduce waiting lists, reach out to underserved communities, and provide more comprehensive services to survivors of sexual assault across the nation.

Since 1997, VAWA has funded the Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project

(RSP) to develop and strengthen state and territorial sexual assault coalitions. In 1997, there were only 26 states with either no coalition or a coalition with no paid staff. Through VAWA and the efforts of the RSP in 2009 all 50 states and 5 territories have sexual assault or dual issue sexual assault/domestic violence coalitions in place.

During the last fifteen years, the National Center for Victims of Crime has witnessed dramatic improvement in the way our nation responds to stalking cases, progress greatly owed to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). By including stalking in the original landmark bill, Congress elevated this crime in our nation's consciousness and highlighted it as a serious offense requiring heightened attention.

With VAWA funding, the National Center for Victims of Crime created the Stalking Resource Center raise national awareness of stalking and to encourage the development and implementation of multidisciplinary responses to stalking in local communities across the country. VAWA has also provided crucial federal support for efforts by criminal justice officials and victim service providers to hold offenders accountable and to keep stalking victims safe.

VAWA has supported the Stalking Resource Centers work to create a model stalking code that will serve as a guide for lawmakers' initiatives to update their states' stalking laws to keep pace with an ever-changing, and has enabled the SRC to train over 30,000 multidisciplinary professionals across the country who work with and respond to stalking victims, better equipping them to respond to the crime of stalking.

I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the fifteenth anniversary of the signing of VAWA which took place on September 13, 1994 while recognizing the accomplishments we have made and the continuing commitment in the fight to end violence against women.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 738) recognizing the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 738 recognizes the 15th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.

Signed into law on September 13, 1994, by President Bill Clinton, the Violence Against Women Act, also known as VAWA, recognizes the severity of crimes associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

This historic legislation was the first comprehensive policy package designed to dramatically reduce violence against women. Its protections and provisions were subsequently expanded and improved in the Violence Against Women Acts of 2000 and 2005.

When VAWA was reauthorized in 2000, it improved the foundation established in VAWA 1994 by creating a legal assistance program for victims and by expanding the definition of domestic violence crimes to include dating violence and stalking. I could not be more proud of these accomplishments, and I am honored to be here today to help recognize this significant program's 15th year of success.

VAWA-funded interventions have lowered both domestic violence and sexual assault rates. Not unimportantly, since the 1994 passage of VAWA it is estimated that more than $14 billion in societal costs have been averted by reducing the need for emergency and medical responses.

This important legislation has also succeeded in bringing communities together to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Currently, law enforcement, prosecution, the courts, victim services, and community-based programs work together on the grassroots and State-wide levels to develop long-term plans for addressing the four categories of crime.

VAWA funding of demonstration projects, trainings, and development of specialized courts and police teams has led to the creation of new techniques to successfully prevent violence against women. For example, the Sexual Assault Services program created in VAWA 2005 enabled our Nation's 1,300 rape crisis centers to reduce waiting lists, reach out to underserved

communities and provide more comprehensive services to survivors of sexual assault. But that's not all this monumental legislation has done to help eradicate violence against women. In addition, VAWA 2000 created T and U visas to allow victims of human and sexual trafficking and violent crimes such as sexual assault to come forward and seek law enforcement assistance without the fear of deportation.

Over 1,300 victims of human trafficking have received T visas. The National Center for Victims of Crime has also witnessed dramatic improvement during the past 15 years in the way our Nation responds to stalking cases. This progress, too, is attributed to the Violence Against Women Act.

Undoubtedly, VAWA has provided crucial Federal support for criminal justice officials and victim service providers who work so hard each day to hold offenders accountable and keep stalking victims safe.

The holistic approach to addressing violence against women that VAWA promotes is inextricably linked to the improved safety and security of victims of domestic and sexual violence and their families. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to concur and associate myself with the remarks of the gentlelady from Tennessee as we celebrate 15 years since the first passage of the Violence Against Women Act.

I remember back in my early days in the Florida Legislature when we were struggling--and I'm sure that you went through the same thing in Tennessee--just to get domestic violence recognized as a serious crime. And we fought to pass laws like this one around the country, fought subsequently to get a crime like stalking declared as a crime and not just get sort of brushed aside as something trivial that women shouldn't worry their pretty little heads over. These kind of crimes, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, are taken seriously now by law enforcement. They have the resources behind them as a result of the Violence Against Women Act.

We look forward to the reauthorization, the discussions that will occur next year, and celebrate the 15th year since VAWA's first introduction and passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 57, which expresses the importance of swimming lessons and recognizes the danger of drowning in the United States, especially among minority children. Though interest in swimming throughout the United States has increased due to national attention to sporting events like the success of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team, drowning is still amongst the leading causes of death of American children. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2005 there were 3,582 unintentional drownings in the United States, and average of 10 per day!

According to an article in the NY Times, an even more daunting statistic is that African children and teens ages 5 to 19, are 2.3 times more likely to drown than Caucasian children in this age group. For children 10 to 14, the rate is five times higher. Nearly 6 out of 10 African-American and Hispanic children are unable to swim, nearly twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts, a concern often highlighted by U.S. Olympian Cullen Jones, who is African-American and swam the third leg of the winning men's relay this week. This unprecedented statistic is unacceptable as it is fairly easily preventable, steps such as adult supervision, regularly using life jackets, learning CPR, and fencing of backyard swimming pools can help save the lives of many of our youth according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Some alarming statistics as stated by my very own district of Houston, TX declare that from May of 2005 to May of 2007:

HFD responded to more than 50 drownings, resulting in at least 8 deaths.

Traditionally, apartment pools account for most of the submersions.

60 percent of the pool incidents occurred at apartments.

We also had several bathtub drowning incidents and several in lakes or bayous.

Most of the children involved submersions involved 4 years old and infants (0-1 year old). Although, all age groups had submersions.

Incidents occurred every hour of the day, though 1-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.- 7 p.m. had the higher number of incidents.

In 2006, The New York Times story ``Everyone Into the Water'' reported on why the barriers to swimming for black children are so high. The report stated that ``studies have shown that many Africans were avid swimmers when they were brought over as slaves, most slaves born in the United States were not allowed to learn to swim because it was a means of escape. That created generations of non-swimmers and spawned the myth that African-Americans could not swim. Though widely discredited, a 1969 study titled ``The Negro and Learning to Swim: The Buoyancy Problem Related to Reported Biological Difference,'' was printed in The Journal of Negro Education and fed the stereotype. The problem was compounded by segregation, which kept blacks out of many pools and beaches. The USA Swimming Foundation is trying to address the problem through its Make a Splash program, which is working to educate parents and increase swimming rates among all children. Donors who want to help can sponsor swimming lessons for children.

The passing of H. Res. 57 expresses the importance of providing access to swimming lessons for all communities in the United States as an integral part of drowning prevention. This Resolution celebrates the work of initiatives like USA Swimming Foundation's ``Make A Splash'' and Safe Kids USA to educate parents and caregivers on water safety and drowning prevention messages. H. Res. 57 also encourages the public and private funding to support current and future initiatives that provide all children access to swimming education.

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

I rise today in support of this House resolution, which, as the gentlelady from Florida said, recognizes the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, or VAWA.

One out of every three people in the United States has been a victim of domestic violence, and that is according to Department of Justice statistics. Legislation proposing a Federal response to this violence against women was first introduced in 1990, although such violence was identified as a serious problem as early as the 1970s. So in 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act to protect women against violent crime, including domestic abuse. The act created grant programs to be administered by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.

Funding under the bill recognized enforcement as well as educational and social programs to combat violent crime targeted against women. VAWA grants provide funding for the investigation and the prosecution of violent crimes perpetrated against women and support increased pretrial detention of defendants. VAWA also imposes automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted.

In 2000, Congress reauthorized many VAWA programs, set new funding levels, and created new grant programs to address sexual assaults on campuses and assist victims of domestic abuse. These programs continue the essential work begun by the earlier act and add important services for immigrant, rural, disabled and older women.

The VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2000 also created new stalking offenses by creating penalties for a person who travels in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent to kill, injure, harass or intimidate a spouse or intimate partner.

VAWA was reauthorized for an additional 5 years when President Bush signed the act in 2005. The legislation expanded VAWA to include initiatives to help children who have been exposed to violence and to train health care providers to support victims of abuse.

The 2005 reauthorization also provided funding for crisis services for victims of rape and sexual assault. The act also improved support services, such as transitional housing, to women and children who have been forced to leave their homes because of this violence.

As the resolution notes, over the last 15 years VAWA has provided Federal support for efforts by law enforcement officials and victim service providers to hold offenders accountable and to keep those victims safe.

I join my colleagues in recognizing the 15th anniversary of the enactment of VAWA and urge continued support of the goals and the ideals of the Violence Against Women Act.

Mr. Speaker, in yielding back the balance of my time, I would thank so many of the volunteers in our communities who have been instrumental in working with many of us in starting rape and sexual abuse centers and supporting those victims, especially the children that we've been able to reach out and provide additional help and support for over the last few years. I know many of my colleagues have served in local and State legislative bodies, and we have had this as a very important focus of much of our work to make certain that women and children were protected from this strike of violence, and so I commend all of them.

I thank the gentlelady from Florida.

I yield back the balance of my time.