[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 146 (Tuesday, September 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H9223-H9224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to my 
colleagues regarding the important legislation which is before the 
House in order to reduce domestic violence here and across the United 
States. I wish to illustrate the importance of such legislation by a 
domestic violence conference which was held in my home of Montgomery 
County, PA, just this past Saturday. It is the third in a series of 
three conferences sponsored by Laurel House, which is the shelter for 
abused children and women, the Victim Services Center of Montgomery 
County, and the Women's Center of Montgomery County, along with the 
Commission On Women and Families, sponsored by the county 
commissioners.

                              {time}  1815

  In this case, all of them work together to make sure that legislative 
action, as well as court action and police action, is in fact brought 
together so that we can reduce violence in the home, reduce violence 
across America.
  I have to compliment the police departments across the country, as 
well as in my home area of Pennsylvania, for doing so much with the 
Protection From Abuse Act, which requires there be protection for those 
who have been abused, to be able to have protective orders, to be 
absent from the marital home, and in fact have the tranquility and the 
privacy they deserve and be free of harm from the offending spouse.
  The courts as well have been very sensitive in being involved in 
sensitivity programs. Many of our jurists have been involved with 
domestic violence awareness and are very sensitive now in their 
sentences and their treatment of such cases.
  But I call to your attention, Mr. Speaker, to some legislation which 
has 

[[Page H9224]]
been introduced which I am supporting, which in fact will go a long way 
to help those in the domestic violence network who are trying to 
prevent such occurrences from continuing, to the Molinari legislation, 
which will be calling for a prohibition of insurance companies in 
denying coverage for those who have been victims of domestic violence. 
This was very important legislation, and legislation that is so self-
evident that it should already be passed. But I am hopeful as a result 
of the conferences we recently held in Montgomery County, as well as 
across the country, we will support this kind of legislation which is 
very important.
  There is legislation as well that deals with and calls for training 
for domestic violence prevention for health care workers and health 
care professionals across the country. This is a very good area of 
influence and of assistance that we think can go a long way as well to 
reduce domestic violence.
  Finally, legislation that I will be introducing shortly is going to 
call for coordinated community response for domestic violence. While we 
have worked together on the antidrug programs and in other important 
community endeavors, Mr. Speaker, this is one area where we need to 
make sure we bring all the forces together that can make a difference, 
whether it be the families, whether it be the clergy, whether it be the 
courts, whether it be police or those people who work in the victim 
services center, who work in the shelters for abused women and 
children, wherever it may be. We need to bring those coordinated 
efforts together so we are reducing the incidence of such crime, we are 
prosecuting those who commit such crimes, and make sure that America is 
safer because of our intervention and our coordinated assistance.
  I will be pleased to report back to the Speaker and my fellow 
colleagues about legislation and coordinated community response as we 
in the 104th Congress unfold our proreform agenda, to make sure we take 
into account these anticrime efforts which will help support families.

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