[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 10, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5100-H5102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS AND
PREVENTION MONTH
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 8) expressing the sense of
Congress with respect to raising awareness and encouraging prevention
of sexual assault in the United States and supporting the goals and
ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
The Clerk read as follows:
S.J. Res. 8
Whereas, on average, another person is sexually assaulted
in the United States every two minutes;
Whereas, the Department of Justice reports that 248,000
people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 2001;
Whereas, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims of
rape or attempted rape;
Whereas, children and young adults are most at risk, as 44
percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18,
and 80 percent are under the age of 30;
Whereas, sexual assault affects women, men, and children of
all racial, social, religious, age, ethnic, and economic
groups in the United States;
Whereas, less than 40 percent of sexual assault victims
pursue prosecution by reporting their attack to law
enforcement agencies;
Whereas, two-thirds of sexual crimes are committed by
persons who are not strangers to the victims;
Whereas, the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half
in the last decade;
Whereas, because of recent advances in DNA technology, law
enforcement agencies have the potential to identify the
rapists in tens of thousands of unsolved rape cases;
Whereas, aggressive prosecution can incarcerate rapists and
therefore prevent them from committing further crimes;
Whereas, sexual assault victims suffer emotional scars long
after the physical scars have healed; and
Whereas, free, confidential help is available to all
victims of sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault
Hotline, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers across the
United States, and other organizations that provide services
to assist victims of sexual assault: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That--
(1) it is the sense of Congress that--
(A) National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
provides a special opportunity to educate the people of the
United States about sexual violence and to encourage both the
prevention of sexual assault and the prosecution of its
perpetrators;
(B) it is appropriate to salute the more than 20,000,000
victims who have survived sexual assault in the United States
and the efforts of victims, volunteers, and professionals who
combat sexual assault;
(C) national and community organizations and private sector
supporters should be recognized and applauded for their work
in promoting awareness about sexual assault, providing
information and treatment to its victims, and encouraging the
increased prosecution and punishment of its perpetrators; and
(D) police, forensic workers, and prosecutors should be
recognized and applauded for their hard work and innovative
strategies to increase the percentage of sexual assault cases
that result in the prosecution and incarceration of the
offenders;
(2) Congress urges national and community organizations,
businesses in the private sector, and the media to promote,
through National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention
Month, awareness of sexual violence and strategies to
decrease the incidence of sexual assault; and
(3) Congress supports the goals and ideals of National
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Scott) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Sensenbrenner).
General Leave
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on S.J. Res. 8.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution as a way to further increase
awareness of sexual assault and recognize the important contributions
of victims in various groups that combat sexual assault. The police,
forensic workers, and prosecutors should be praised for their hard work
and dedication to this fight.
Through recent advances in DNA technology, law enforcement agencies
have developed the potential to identify the rapists in tens of
thousands of unsolved rape cases. The work of these individuals to
prosecute sexual assault cases and incarcerating the offenders makes
all of us safer.
We must also recognize the work of victims, national and community
organizations, private sector supporters, and the media in this area.
These groups helped to increase public awareness and provide support
for individuals affected by this dramatic experience. Public awareness
is a vital tool in combatting the incidence of sexual assault. It is
noteworthy that the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half in
the last decade.
This resolution also recognizes the plight of victims of sexual
assault. Often, victims suffer emotional scars that remain long after
the physical scars have healed. Free, confidential help is available to
all victims of sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault
Hotline, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers in the United States and
other organizations that provide services to assist the victims of
sexual assault.
Hopefully, public awareness of this issue will also help victims to
recognize that they are not alone and encourage them to come forward
and report the crime. Currently, less than 40 percent of the sexual
assault victims pursue prosecution by reporting their attack to law
enforcement agencies.
This resolution offers the support of this Congress and brings
attention to this very important issue. I urge my colleagues to join me
in supporting the individuals and organizations that dedicate
themselves to combatting sexual assault.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to join the chairman of the Committee on the
Judiciary in supporting S.J. Res. 8 to call attention to National
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The purpose of this
resolution is to increase public awareness of sexual assault and to
recognize the important contributions of various individuals and groups
across the United States that combat sexual assault.
Mr. Speaker, sexual assault victims are primarily young people with
44 percent of the victims under the age of 18, 80 percent under the age
of 30. Sexual assault affects women, men, children of all races,
social, religious, age, ethnic and economic groups and even prisoners.
Yet less than 40 percent of sexual assault victims pursue prosecution
by reporting their attack to law enforcement agencies.
Mr. Speaker, as we recognize Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention
Month, Congress also recognizes that other tools are also important in
preventing and addressing sexual assault. With advances in DNA
technology, law
[[Page H5101]]
enforcement agencies have been able to identify and prosecute many
offenders, and the potential exists to identify tens of thousands of
additional offenders in unsolved rape cases. That is why it is so
important that Congress provide additional resources needed to
immediately eliminate the current backlog of rape evidence kits across
the United States.
I look forward to working with my colleague, the gentleman from
Wisconsin, in authorizing and funding the Debbie Smith Act and other
bills aimed at reducing the DNA backlog.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Wisconsin (Mr. Green).
Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for
yielding me the time.
Mr. Speaker, some would be quick to point out that this resolution is
about symbolism; but in this area and on this subject, symbolism is
important. Symbolism can help us raise the profile of this very
important issue.
As the previous speaker, the chairman, just alluded, there are things
that we should celebrate in our battle against sexual assault. Rape is
down 50 percent over the last decade. We have recently passed the
Protect Act, child abduction legislation, that I think will offer new
tools and resources in the fight against sexual assault. The committee
is developing DNA legislation that will provide additional tools and
resources; but as we all know, we have so far to go.
A person is sexually assaulted in this country every 2 minutes.
{time} 1230
According to the Department of Justice, nearly 250,000 people were
assaulted in 2001 alone; 1 in 6 women have been the victim of rape or
attempted rape.
This resolution declares that Congress supports the goals and ideals
of the National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We can use this
opportunity to educate the public on how to prevent sexual assault. We
can use this opportunity to recognize those in the community that
volunteer numerous hours to work with victims. We can use this
opportunity to recognize law enforcement for their dedicated work in
this battle against sexual assault in the areas of increased conviction
and increased prevention, and we can use this opportunity to salute the
more than 20 million victims who have survived sexual assault. We stand
with them. By raising the profile, hopefully these numbers will fall
and we will have fewer victims, we will have more convictions, and we
will have greater awareness of this awful battle we must fight.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) who is a lead
sponsor of this resolution, an advocate for the issue.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S.J. Res. 8,
and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner), the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member, and the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) for all of their hard work on this
issue and this resolution and for their work in preventing sexual
assault and rape.
The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) and I introduced the
companion legislation to this bill, H.J. Res. 36 in the House earlier.
This April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, but it is
important to remember that preventing sexual assault should be a top
priority during each month of the year.
We must also remember that violence against women is not just a
woman's issue, it is a man's issue, a family's issue, and an issue that
is important to society at large.
According to the Department of Justice, someone is sexually assaulted
in this country every 82 seconds. That translates to over 1,000 a day,
and over 380,000 sexual assaults every year; yet we have the ability to
help protect our daughters, our sisters, and our friends by putting
rapists behind bars using DNA evidence. We know that DNA evidence is
better than a fresh set of fingerprints, and we know it is often better
than eyewitness testimony.
Earlier this year I reintroduced with the gentleman from Wisconsin
(Mr. Green) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner) an important
piece of legislation that would take important steps to prevent sexual
assaults from occurring. The Debbie Smith Act would provide critical
funding for eliminating the backlog of unprocessed DNA evidence, for
establishing sexual assault forensic examiner programs, and for
training law enforcement and prosecutors about how to use DNA
technology most effectively.
The bill also establishes a national standard for the collection of
DNA evidence, thereby ensuring that the evidence is processed in a
reasonable amount of time. I authored this bill after Debbie Smith
testified before the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. She
spoke about the tool of DNA and how it can be used to convict rapists.
She was raped near her home in 1989, and for 6\1/2\ years she lived in
fear that her attacker would return to fulfill the threat he had made
to her that day, that if she told anyone, he would kill her. Only on
the day that her husband told her that the man that had raped Debbie
had been identified through a DNA match and was in prison was Debbie
able to breathe again.
Tragically, there are other Debbie Smiths out there, other women
still living in fear because they do not know if their attacker will
come back to them again. The Debbie Smith Act will help to bring
justice and closure to the survivors of rapes and their families, and
it will help prevent rapes by putting rapists behind bars.
This is an issue that both Republicans and Democrats agree on.
Attorney General Ashcroft earlier this year stated that he supported a
$1 billion initiative to process DNA evidence. This is clearly very
important because there is an estimated 350,000 to 500,000 kits
unprocessed around the country. It is no wonder that only 2 percent of
women who are raped will ever see their attacker spend a day in jail,
but each rape kit represents a life, the life of a person like Debbie
Smith, and each rape kit represents a predator, a rapist who may strike
again and again. Law enforcement tells us that most rapists, if not
caught, will attack approximately, or at least, 8 times.
It is time to put DNA evidence to work stopping rapes and sexual
assaults from occurring around the country, and I do believe that this
year we will pass this bill. It is needed, it is important, and we will
pass it because there is strong bipartisan support from the White
House, from the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), from the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green), and many others. I thank everyone
who has worked on it. There is no greater way to celebrate Sexual
Assault Month than to pass legislation that will prevent sexual
assaults in the future. I am hopeful this year we will be able to
achieve that.
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S.J. Res. 8,
the joint resolution expressing the sense of Congress with respect to
raising awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the
United States.
The statistics on the widespread nature of sexual assault are
alarming. It is estimated that one in six women in the United States
have been victims of rape or attempted rape. One in five children will
be a victim of sexual abuse before reaching the age of 18. However,
recent educational efforts have proved successful--therate of sexual
assaults has decreased by half in the last decade. It is critical to
the safety of all Americans that we build on these efforts.
Sexual assault is perpetuated by silence. One of the most startling
aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The joint resolution
we are voting on today is a step in acknowledging the all too prevalent
reality of sexual assault. Further, we must support the existing
programs and resources for victims of sexual assault and their
families, such as the National Sexual Assault Hotline and more than
1,000 rape crisis centers across the United States. I urge my
colleagues to support this legislation as a show of commitment to the
goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention
Month.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S.J. Res. 8,
a resolution to raise awareness and encourage prevention of sexual
assault. There is no crime that is more personal, more intrusive, or
more painful than rape, and it must be a priority of this Congress and
this Administration to work toward an end to this violence.
Unfortunately, while this resolution is a nice demonstration of
sympathy and support from the Congress, it is woefully inadequate.
While I strongly support its passage,
[[Page H5102]]
the Republican Leadership should allow the House to consider
legislation to provide real relief to victims of sexual assault and
domestic violence. It is my hope that this resolution will be followed
by consideration of H.R. 1267, the Domestic Violence Screening,
Treatment, and Protection Act; H.R. 1046, the Debbie Smith Act dealing
with the DNA evidence backlog; H.R. 394, the Violence Against Women
Civil Rights Restoration Act; and many others.
We have come a long way in the last 30 years since women started
speaking up and speaking out against sexual assault. We are now better
able to treat rape victims in emergency rooms; law enforcement has
access to tools to teach them how to respond to the crime of sexual
assault; and there are social and mental health services available to
women who are survivors of rape. I am grateful for this progress.
However, as we've raised awareness of this violence, we have also
learned that it reaches far deeper into every aspect of our society
than we wanted to admit or acknowledge. It is far more likely that
perpetrators know their victims and aren't just strangers in the
bushes. And women aren't the only victims--one in 33 men have been
victims of rape or attempted rape. Furthermore, teens are twice as
likely as any other age group to be victims of crime--nearly one-third
of all sexual assault victims are raped between the ages of 12 and 17,
and one in five girls becomes a victim of violence in dating
relationships.
We've also heard a lot this year about women at the Air Force Academy
who have been victims of sexual assault. It is a disgrace that so many
women have been re-victimized and silenced as a result of our
military's reaction to these violent crimes. We must work hard to
change the culture in every branch and at every level of the military
from one that accepts violence against women to one that condemns such
violence and treats victims, and all women, with respect and equality.
But what we haven't heard much about is that men in the military are
also victims of sexual assault. A special report appeared in January
2003 and revealed that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs began
collecting nationwide data on the extent to which men have been
sexually traumatized in the armed services. The preliminary results are
that nearly 22,500 male veterans--more than one of every 100 former
soldiers, sailors and airmen treated by the VA--reported being sexually
traumatized by peers or superiors during their military careers. This
once again shows that sexual violence is about humiliation,
degradation, and control.
We must commit ourselves to ending violence against women this month
and every month. We must fully fund all Violence Against Women Act
programs. We must speak up when we hear people speak about sexual
violence in a dismissive or harmful way. We must educate our sons to be
nonviolent and to treat women with respect. I believe that if we commit
ourselves, we can end violence against women. Therefore, I urge my
colleagues to vote for S.J. Res. 8.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S.J. Res.
8, the Joint Resolution expressing the sense of Congress with respect
to the raising awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault
in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of National
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
What S.J. Res. 8 Does
The Resolution echoes the goals and ideals of the National Sexual
Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, namely to increase public
awareness of the occurrence and the effects of sexual assault and to
improve our nation's overall ability to prevent new incidents.
The need for this legislation stems from data compiled by the Bureau
of Justice Statistics and the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network.
Specifically, the fact that ``a person is sexually assaulted in the
United States every 2 minutes'' and that 248,000 people in the United
States were sexually assaulted in 2001 as reported by the Department of
Justice underscores the urgent and emergent nature of this problem.
Furthermore, the Resolution cites statistics that 1 in 6 women and 1 in
33 men have been victims of either rape or attempted rape. In addition,
in terms of victim age, 44 percent are under the age of 18 and 80
percent are under the age of 30. I support this legislation because
sexual assault has a significant and direct effect on the lives of many
of the constituents in my legislative District.
Effect on State and Local Constituent District
Between 1997 and 2001, the number of family violence incidence
reported and the number of women killed by intimate male partners has
remained at a consistent high (See Attachment 1).
In Texas, 35 percent of the women killed in 1997 were murdered by an
intimate male partner, which is higher than the national average of 28
percent as reported by the FBI (Texas Council on Family Violence,
2002).
In Houston, 21,621 family violence incidents were reported. Out of
this number, 15 women were killed by intimate male partners (Texas
Council on Family Violence, 2001).
In Harris County in 2001, 26,353 family violence incidents were
reported. Likewise in 2001 and out of this number, 22 women were killed
by intimate male partners (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2002). In
addition, every 20 minutes, there is 1 domestic violence incident
reported to the police (3 domestic violence events every hour in the
County). The National Crime Victimization Survey reports that in 1998,
only 50 percent of all actual domestic violence incidents are reported.
According to the Harris County Public Health & Environment Services,
likely factors that have led to the increased number of incidents
include: ``changes in law relating to domestic violence, increase [sic]
public awareness of domestic violence, increase in support facilities
for Domestic Violence survivors established by the government and
various community groups, more effective involvement of the law
enforcement in the incidents of domestic violence, and better tools
provided to District Attorney's Office for prosecuting the offenders of
domestic violence.''
Other Relevant Data
The direct harmful effects of sexual assault and domestic violence
have been well documented:
Pregnacy--A 1996 review indicated that between 0.9 percent an 20.1
percent of women experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) (Center
for Disease Control (CDC).
Elderly--An estimated 551,011 elderly persons (aged 60 and over)
suffered abuse, neglect, and/or self-neglect in domestic settings in
1996 (National Center for Victims of Crime, 1998). The median age for
elder abuse victims was 77.9 years in 1996.
Disabled--Women with disabilities face the same risks as all women
face, plus those associated with their particular disability.
Furthermore, studies have shown that women with physical disabilities
more likely received abusive treatment from attendants and health care
providers (Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, 1997)
Homeless/Low-Income--A study of 777 homeless parents (predominantly
mothers) in ten U.S. cities revealed that 22 percent had relocated
because of domestic violence (Homes for the Homeless, 1998).
Furthermore, a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors
indicated that 46 percent of the surveyed cities identified domestic
violence as a primary cause of homelessness (1998).
Men affected--According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 1998,
men were found to be victims of approximately 160,000 violent crimes by
an intimate partner.
The vast and diverse statistics mentioned above relative to the very
problems targeted by S.J. Res. 8, in my legislative ``back yard'' as
well as nationwide warrant my attention as well as the attention of my
colleagues. For the above stated reasons, I vote in favor of S.J. Res.
8 and urge my colleagues to do the same.
ATTACHMENT 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family violence incidents..................................... 180,385 175,282 177,176 175,725 181,773
Women killed by intimate male partners........................ 113 104 133 116 102
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Texas Council on Family Violence, 2001.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her
advocacy, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner)
that the House suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution,
S.J. Res. 8.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate joint resolution was
passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________