[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E7-E8]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERMANENT OFFICE OF VIOLENCE 
                           AGAINST WOMEN ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 3, 2001

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with my distinguished 
colleague, Representative Connie Morella, in introducing the Violence 
Against Women Office Act. This bill would make permanent the Violence 
Against Women Office within the Department of Justice.
  Mr. Speaker, domestic violence is shockingly pervasive in our society 
today. The National Violence Against Women Survey, released by the 
National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention in July 2000, found that:
  Domestic abuse rates remain disturbingly high. Nearly 25 percent of 
women and 7.6 percent of men surveyed reported they had been raped or 
physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, 
or date at some point in their lifetime.
  Stalking by intimates is more common than previously thought. Almost 
5 percent of surveyed women and 0.6 percent of surveyed men reported 
being stalked by an intimate at some point in their lifetime; 0.5 
percent of surveyed women and 0.2 percent of surveyed men reported 
being stalked by such a partner in the previous 12 months.
  Domestic violence has major implications for public health and our 
health care system. Of the estimated 4.9 million intimate partner rapes 
and physical assaults perpetrated against women annually, approximately 
2 million will result in an injury to the victim, and 570,457 will 
result in some type of medical treatment to the victim. Of the 
estimated 2.9 million intimate partner physical assaults perpetrated 
against men annually, 581,391 will result in an injury to the victim, 
and 124,999 will result in some type of medical treatment to the 
victim.
  According to these statistics, approximately 1.5 million women and 
834,732 men are raped and/or physically assaulted by an intimate 
partner each year in the United States. Domestic violence is nothing 
less than an epidemic, and must be attacked with all the resources we 
would bring to bear against a deadly disease.
  We have made important progress over the past decade. One of my 
proudest accomplishments in Congress was my work as a lead author of 
the Violence Against Women Act. This bill, passed by Congress in 1994 
and signed into law by President Clinton, has effected a sea change in 
the way our nation views and addresses domestic violence. VAWA made 
possible today's programs to educate judges and law enforcement 
officers, support shelters for battered women and children, and collect 
vital information on statistics on violence. Nevertheless, studies show 
that we still have a long way to go.
  The legislation I am introducing today with Representative Morella 
would establish a permanent Office of Violence Against Women within the 
Department of Justice. At present, this office only exists by 
administrative fiat. It could be abolished or subsumed into another

[[Page E8]]

part of the Department at any time. In our view, the existence of the 
Office of Violence Against Women should not be subject to changing 
political winds.
  This legislation has the support of numerous domestic violence 
organizations all over our nation. In the 106th Congress, it garnered 
the support of almost 150 bipartisan cosponsors in short time. 
Representative Morella and I are hopeful that the 107th Congress will 
acknowledge the importance of this bill by passing it into law as soon 
as possible.
  Tragically, there is no indication that domestic violence will 
disappear any time soon. Congress should signal its commitment to the 
fight against domestic abuse by establishing a permanent Office of 
Violence Against Women.

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