[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 123 (Thursday, October 5, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H8815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 2000

  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, the women in my district and women all 
across this country need to have the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 
reauthorized.
  The act was first passed in 1994 and has been a lifeline to women who 
are victims of violence. The current act would go even further by 
improving existing provisions and adding new ones, such as dating 
violence, the provision of transitional housing, the creation of 
supervised visitation and exchange programs for children, and expanding 
services to reach the elderly and previously underserved populations.
  The new reauthorization was passed by this body on September 26, but 
it remains a top priority, because the other body has yet to pass it.
  Mr. Speaker, the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, the Women's Resource 
Center in St. Thomas, and the Safety Zone in St. John are depending on 
us, the women and the families they care for, especially their children 
who also become victims and have a high risk of themselves becoming 
perpetrators, are depending on us.
  I join the other distinguished women of the House and all of my 415 
colleagues who voted for its passage in calling on the Senate to do the 
same and give us a Violence Against Women Act before we adjourn.

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