[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 15, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H2476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   MARRIAGE IS SAFEST PLACE FOR WOMEN

  (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, we live in a world that has changed 
drastically since the 1950s. Couples are getting married later in life, 
and almost 40 percent of first marriages end in divorce. And yet every 
day, men and women all over the country pledge to spend their lives 
together.
  Despite what some people believe about marriage, the facts say one 
thing: Marriage is still the safest place for women.
  Mr. Speaker, studies from the Department of Justice show that never-
married women are twice as likely to be abused by their partner than 
married women. Violence occurs more often in homes where the couples 
are unmarried compared to wed couples, with unmarried women three times 
more likely to become victims of violence than married women.
  Mr. Speaker, these are disturbing statistics. As we consider welfare 
reform in the coming days, we must encourage and support programs that 
will provide safety and security for women. It is clear that a society 
that promotes marriage promotes women.

                          ____________________