[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 4, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mrs. MINK of Hawaii asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate a great victory. 
As we observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month 1994, we finally have a 
law on the books that will help protect women and children from 
violence in their own homes.
  The Violence Against Women Act is a monumental step forward in 
domestic violence prevention, in assistance to women who have been 
battered, and assurances that domestic violence will be taken as 
seriously as any other type of assault or similar crime.
  We celebrate our victory, but as we remember the women who have been 
the victims of domestic violence, many of whom lost their lives, we 
must also recognize that we still have a long way to go.
  For many women and children the most dangerous place for them to be 
is still in their own homes.
  It is estimated that 3 to 4 million women are battered each year by 
their husbands or partners.
  According to the American Medical Association, domestic violence 
results in almost 100,000 days of hospitalization, about 30,000 
emergency room visits, and almost 40,000 visits to physicians.
  I urge my colleagues and the American people to join in efforts 
toward full implementation of the Violence Against Women Act as well as 
other efforts to eradicate domestic violence from our society.

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