[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 31, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 31, 2001

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in the 
Women's Caucus and add my strong support to the struggle against 
domestic violence.
  October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, is an opportunity for us 
to remember those who have been victims of abuse, to support those who 
are survivors, and to assist those who labor on a daily basis to put an 
end to this horrible violence.
  While the devastating physical and emotional consequences of domestic 
violence have been well documented, less attention has been paid to the 
economic reasons women stay victim to their abusers. Far too many 
victims remain in abusive relationships because of their inability to 
financially support themselves and their children.
  Lack of affordable childcare, inaccessibility to job training and 
healthcare programs, and low wages are a few of the obstacles women 
face when they wish to leave an abusive home. Those who are able to 
find employment often find it difficult, if not impossible, to keep a 
job because of the consequences of domestic abuse such as: lower 
productivity, reduced attendance, and the higher risk of insurance and 
healthcare costs to employers. In addition, employed victims of abuse 
live with the added fear of losing their job if they take time off from 
work to seek help for themselves and their families.
  Unfortunately, current law does not specifically allow women to take 
leave from work to effectively deal with the abuse in their lives. Nor 
does the law often allow women who leave work as a result of domestic 
violence to collect unemployment compensation.
  These realities faced by abused women often hinder their ability to 
seek or maintain employment. As a result, far too many women are left 
with the terrifying choice of staying with their abusers or becoming 
homeless, often with their children. In fact, the Downtown Women's 
Center of Los Angeles recently conducted a needs assessment among 400 
homeless women in Los Angeles. Of those interviewed, 58.5 percent had 
experienced domestic violence in their lifetime, and 39.5 percent had 
experienced domestic violence as recently as the previous year.
  To address the needs of victims of abuse, I have introduced the 
Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act in the House of 
Representatives. My legislation is specifically designed to help 
victims of domestic violence retain their employment and financial 
independence, by ensuring that they are allowed to take time off from 
work to make necessary court appearances, seek legal assistance, 
contact law enforcement officials or make alternative housing 
arrangements, without the fear of being fired or demoted. Further, to 
ensure victims can retain the financial independence necessary to leave 
their abusers and avoid having to rely on welfare or become homeless, 
my bill requires states to provide unemployment benefits to women who 
are forced to leave work as a result of domestic violence. This 
legislation currently has the bipartisan support of 106 of my 
colleagues in Congress.
  Obviously, we cannot legislate the problem of domestic violence away. 
An important step we can take, however, is to create a system that 
gives women a fighting chance to remove themselves and their children 
from abusive environments. As a nation, we must develop and implement 
laws that provide the support necessary to ensure the safety and 
security of our most vulnerable citizens. No woman should ever have to 
choose between physical safety or financial security for herself or her 
family.

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