[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 103 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H7508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DOMESTIC VIOLENCE/WELFARE RESOLUTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California [Ms. Roybal-Allard] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, we are all aware of the fact that 
domestic violence is at epidemic levels and rising.
  What was not known until recently however, is the relationship 
between domestic violence and welfare dependency: namely, that for 
victims of abuse, the welfare system is often the only hope they have 
for escape and survival.
  A recent study by the Taylor Institute of Chicago offers insights as 
to why so many women become trapped in the cycle of violence and 
dependency. The study found that 50 percent to 80 percent of women on 
AFDC are current or past victims of domestic violence.
  It also documents how abusers keep women financially and 
psychologically dependent by deliberately sabotaging their efforts to 
succeed in education and job training programs. For example, the study 
found that abusers have been known to destroy their victims' books and 
homework, hide their clothing, inflict visible and embarrassing 
injuries, and engage in abusive behavior before important events such 
as high school equivalency examinations and job interviews.
  These findings underscore the importance of ensuring that any welfare 
reform legislation enacted by Congress maintains this critical safety 
net.
  Toward this end, Senator Wellstone and I have introduced resolutions 
expressing the sense of Congress that any welfare reform proposals 
shall not further endanger women and children who are victims of 
domestic abuse by denying them access to their last source of support 
and means of escape.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.

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