[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 41 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SUPPORTING VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 15, 2002

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I take great pleasure in rising before you 
today to speak out against an international problem-Domestic Violence.
  Domestic violence cuts across lines of race, nationality, language, 
culture, economics, sexual orientation, physical ability, and religion. 
It affects people from all walks of life.
  On October 28, 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Violence 
Against Women Act of 2000 as Division B of the Victims of Trafficking 
and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386). The original 
Violence Against Women Act, enacted as Title IV of the Violent Crime 
and Control and Law Enforcement Act (P.L. 103-322), became law in 1994.
  VAWA 2000 reauthorizes VAWA through FY2005, sets new funding levels, 
and adds new programs. VAWA established within the Departments of 
Justice and Health and Human Services a number of discretionary grant 
programs for state, local and Indian tribal governments. Under HHS, 
grants include funds for battered women's shelters, rape prevention and 
education, programs to reduce the sexual abuse of runaways, homeless 
street youths, and community programs on domestic violence.
  In addition to grants administered by the states, the Act includes a 
number of changes in federal criminal law relating to interstate 
stalking, intrastate domestic abuse, federal sex offense cases, the 
rules of evidence regarding use of a victim's past sexual behavior, and 
HIV testing in rape cases. In FY2002, Congress appropriated $517.2 
million for VAWA programs, $7 million more than the amount requested in 
the President's budget.
  As many of my colleagues know, I am a long time supporter of 
instituting laws to prevent violence against women. In the 107th 
Congress, I cosponsored H.R. 3752, the Domestic Violence and Sexual 
Assault Victim's Act. As long as the statistics show that approximately 
one half million women are stalked each year in the United States by an 
intimate partner, I will continue to support efforts to curtail this 
criminal act.
  It is for these reasons, Mr. Speaker, that I find it not only my 
duty, but my responsibility to speak out against domestic violence 
against women during International Women's Week. I hope my colleagues 
join me in paying a special tribute to the millions of victims of 
domestic violence.

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