[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 27, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MARRIAGE: A WOMAN'S SAFETY ISSUE

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, preserving and strengthening marriage in 
America is not just a values issue, it is a safety issue, especially 
for women. According to Federal statistics, women are much more likely 
to be victims of domestic abuse if they are not married.
  In fact, domestic partner or spouse abuse against women is almost 
three times as high among cohabiting couples as it is among all 
married, divorced, and separated couples combined. If we simply compare 
married couples to couples who just live together, violence against 
women is five times as high for those who are not married.
  Clearly, women are safest when they are living in healthy, committed 
marriages. To most Americans, this sounds like common sense, but for 
the most at-risk women in America, I mean poor women, our welfare laws 
create a strong disincentive against marriage. Mr. Speaker, that needs 
to change.
  I hope that when we reauthorize our welfare laws later this year that 
we will address this. America's families and America's women deserve no 
less.

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