[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 30, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH

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                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 30, 2002

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I commend Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick 
and Congresswoman Deborah Pryce for their leadership and thank them for 
organizing today's statements in recognition of Sexual Assault 
Awareness Month.
  An estimated 302,100 women and 92,700 men are forcibly raped each 
year in the United States. There were 9,443 reported forcible rapes in 
California in 1999 alone. This number is undoubtedly low, since a 
majority of rapes and sexual assaults are never reported. Sexual 
assault is a problem of sweeping proportions across the nation.
  One way that we can combat sexual assault is by raising public 
awareness, both here in Congress and in our local communities. 
California officially recognized Sexual Assault Awareness Month by 
resolution in 1987.
  Sexual assault is a problem for us all. As legislators, we are 
responsible for letting women and families know that we take the 
problem of sexual assault seriously. The Violence Against Women Act 
provides funding to battered women's shelters, rape crisis centers, a 
hotline for domestic violence community programs on domestic violence, 
and rape education and prevention. With the reauthorization of the 
Violence Against Women Act in 2000, Congress reaffirmed this nation's 
commitment to ending domestic and sexual violence.
  Full funding of the Violence Against Women Act will allow communities 
across the country to carry this legacy forward. Unfortunately, 
President Bush's budget falls $111.3 million short of fully funding 
critically important programs such as transitional housing for victims 
of domestic violence, shelter services, and rape education and 
prevention. As we recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I urge my 
colleagues to dedicate the necessary resources to fulfill the mission 
of the Violence Against Women Act.

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