[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2585-S2586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Levin, Mr. Specter, 
        Mrs. Carnahan, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Miller, Ms. Collins, and Mr. 
        Carper):
  S. 570. A bill to establish a permanent Violence Against Women Office 
at the Department of Justice; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today, I address once more the subject of 
violence against women. It is still a problem.
  According Justice Department statistics, violence against women by 
intimate partners is actually down, falling 21 percent from 1993 to 
1998. Luckily, we can thank the programs created by the Violence 
Against Women Act, which I introduced almost a decade ago, and the 
efforts of advocates all across this country, from Dover to Denver, in 
educating us to confront domestic violence head-on.
  Yet, unfortunately, we are far from eradicating this crime. It is a 
crime which harms women, leaving them battered and blue, sending them 
to the hospital, and causing them to miss work. We have also a crime 
that affects their children--children who cower while watching their 
mother get battered, children who too often then act out their own 
aggression.
  I would love to say that, in my lifetime, we will break this cycle of 
family violence. But, we are not there yet.
  One way of working towards this goal, however, is to preserve the 
Violence Against Women Office at the Justice Department. Today I, along 
with Senators DeWine, Levin, Specter,

[[Page S2586]]

Carnahan, Hutchison, Miller, Collins, and Carper, have introduced a 
bill making the Office permanent.
  This office is vital because it has been instrumental in our efforts 
to help women harmed by domestic violence. Since its inception, the 
Violence Against Women Office has distributed over one billion dollars 
in its first five years to states, localities, tribal governments, and 
private organizations. These governments and groups, in turn, have used 
these precious funds to improve the investigation and prosecution of 
crimes of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault; to train 
prosecutors, police officers, and judges on the special aspects of 
cases involving violence against women; and to offer the needed 
services to victims and their families.
  In particular, this funding includes the incredibly successful STOP 
grants--grants which fund the Services for the Training of Officers and 
Prosecutors. These STOP grants--the largest grant program created by 
the Violence Against Women Act, are especially effective because each 
grant must be used to upgrade three vital areas: prosecution, law 
enforcement, and victim services.
  Likewise, the Violence Against Women Office has awarded grants to 
encourage arrest policies, which seek to educate our police officers 
that, when they answer a call for help by a woman being battered, they 
should not turn away. This battery is not a private matter, to be left 
behind closed doors--where a man as king of his castle can do as he 
pleases. No, not anymore. That woman's abuser is committing a crime and 
he is subject to arrest and prosecution.
  The Office has also distributed monies to our rural areas as part of 
the program for Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement. I 
am sorry to say but this problem is in every part of this nation, and 
the Violence Against Women Office has sent funds to every corner of 
America, all the way from Orem, UT to Waterbury, VT. Yet, despite its 
pervasiveness, domestic violence itself is under attack.
  And the Violence Against Women Office is leading the fight. Given the 
success of the many programs of the Violence Against Women Act as 
administered by the Office, I believe that the time has come to make 
the Violence Against Women Office permanent by statute. This Office is 
long overdue a strong foundation.
  Moreover, the Office is due the prestige it deserves. My bill 
realizes this aim in a couple of ways. First, my bill provides that the 
Office be separate from any division or component of the Justice 
Department. In this regard, with the Office's Director reporting 
directly to the Associate Attorney General, as my bill requires, the 
Office will be shielded from any attempts to undo the great work it has 
historically accomplished. Why mess with success?
  Second, my bill provides that the Director of the Office shall now be 
nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This, too, 
raises the prestige of the work that the Violence Against Women Office 
seeks to accomplish day-in and day-out. It also subjects the selection 
of the Director, who performs the essential job of implementing the 
Violence Against Women Act, to the democratic process--thereby insuring 
that we attract the best candidates.
  Yes, indeed, we are far from solving the crime of domestic violence. 
But let us take a step in the right direction. Join me in making the 
Violence Against Women Office permanent. The safety of women and their 
families depends on it.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 570

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Violence Against Women 
     Office Act''.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OFFICE.

       (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of 
     Justice a Violence Against Women Office (in this Act referred 
     to as the ``Office'') under the general authority of the 
     Attorney General.
       (b) Separate Office.--The Office--
       (1) shall not be part of any division or component of the 
     Department of Justice; and
       (2) shall be a separate office headed by a Director who 
     shall report to the Attorney General through the Associate 
     Attorney General of the United States, and who shall also 
     serve as Counsel to the Attorney General.

     SEC. 3. JURISDICTION.

       The Office--
       (1) shall have jurisdiction over all matters related to 
     administration, enforcement, coordination, and implementation 
     of all responsibilities of the Attorney General or the 
     Department of Justice related to violence against women, 
     including formula and discretionary grant programs authorized 
     under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (title IV of 
     Public Law 103-322) and the Violence Against Women Act of 
     2000 (Division B of Public Law 106-386); and
       (2) shall be solely responsible for coordination with other 
     offices or agencies of administration, enforcement, and 
     implementation of the programs, grants, and activities 
     authorized or undertaken under the Violence Against Women Act 
     of 1994 (title IV of Public Law 103-322) and the Violence 
     Against Women Act of 2000 (Division B of Public Law 106-386).

     SEC. 4. DIRECTOR OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OFFICE.

       (a) Appointment.--The President, by and with the advice and 
     consent of the Senate, shall appoint a Director for the 
     Violence Against Women Office (in this Act referred to as the 
     ``Director'') to be responsible for the administration, 
     coordination, and implementation of the programs and 
     activities of the office.
       (b) Other Employment.--The Director shall not--
       (1) engage in any employment other than that of serving as 
     Director; or
       (2) hold any office in, or act in any capacity for, any 
     organization, agency, or institution with which the Office 
     makes any contract or other agreement under the Violence 
     Against Women Act of 1994 (title IV of Public Law 103-322) or 
     the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (Division B of Public 
     Law 106-386).
       (c) Vacancy.--In the case of a vacancy, the President may 
     designate an officer or employee who shall act as Director 
     during the vacancy.
       (d) Compensation.--The Director shall be compensated at a 
     rate of pay not to exceed the rate payable for level V of the 
     Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United 
     States Code.

     SEC. 5. REGULATORY AUTHORIZATION.

       The Director may, after appropriate consultation with 
     representatives of States and units of local government, 
     establish such rules, regulations, and procedures as are 
     necessary to the exercise of the functions of the Office, and 
     are consistent with the stated purposes of this Act and those 
     of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (title IV of Public 
     Law 103-322) and the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 
     (Division B of Public Law 106-386).

     SEC. 6. OFFICE STAFF.

       The Attorney General shall ensure that there is adequate 
     staff to support the Director in carrying out the 
     responsibilities of the Director under this Act.

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 ______