[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 17, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5439-H5443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 342, KEEPING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SAFE ACT OF
2003
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 276, I call
up the conference report on the Senate bill (S. 342) to amend the Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to make improvements to and
reauthorize programs under that Act, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flake). Pursuant to rule XXII, the
conference report is considered as having been read.
(For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of
June 12, 2003 at page H5307.)
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra)
and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each will control 30
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra).
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are here today to discuss the
conference agreement to S. 342, the Keeping Children and Families Safe
Act of 2003, which reauthorizes and improves the Child Abuse Prevention
and Treatment Act, CAPTA; the adoption opportunities program; the
Abandoned Infants Act; and the Family Violence Prevention and Services
Act.
We began this process of reauthorizing CAPTA and FVPSA in the last
Congress. The conference report before us today shows our ongoing
bipartisan effort and our commitment to ensuring that programs aimed at
the prevention of child abuse and neglect and family violence continue.
The conference report before us continues to emphasize the prevention
of child abuse and neglect before it occurs. It promotes partnerships
between child protective services and private and community-based
organizations, including education and health systems, to ensure that
services and linkages are more effectively provided. It retains
important language from the House bill to appropriately address a
growing concern over parents being falsely accused of child abuse and
neglect and the aggressiveness of social workers in their child abuse
investigations.
It retains language to increase public education opportunities that
strengthen the public's understanding of the child protection system
while teaching the appropriate manner for reporting suspected incidents
of child maltreatment. It also retains language to foster cooperation
between parents and child protective service workers by requiring
caseworkers to inform parents of the allegations made against them, and
improves the training opportunities for child protective services
personnel regarding the extent and limits of their legal authority in
order to protect the legal rights of parents and legal guardians. These
are important additions to our Nation's child abuse laws that should
not be overlooked.
This conference report retains the House language requiring States to
implement policies and procedures to address the needs of infants born
and identified as being affected by illegal substance abuse or
withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure, including
the requirement that health care providers involved in the delivery or
care of these infants notify child protective services of the
occurrence of such condition and develop a plan of safe care for such
infants.
[[Page H5440]]
In addition, this conference report maintains language expanding
adoption opportunities and services for infants and young children who
are disabled or born with life-threatening conditions, requires the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on the annual
number of infants and young children abandoned each year, and extends
the authorization for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all the conferees, both the
House and the Senate, for their hard work and efforts in finalizing
this conference report. I especially want to thank the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Boehner) for his continued support throughout this process
and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) for his diligence
in ensuring that infants born addicted to drugs receive necessary
services. I appreciate the assistance of the ranking member of the full
committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller); and the
ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Hinojosa), in ensuring that we have reached this point here today. I,
of course, also want to thank the chairman of the Senate HELP
Committee, Senator Gregg; the ranking member, Senator Kennedy; and
Senator Dodd for their efforts in finalizing this bill.
Most importantly, I also want to thank the staff. This conference
report would not be before us today if it were not for the diligence
and dedication of the staff who have spent many hours working through
the differences in the two bills to ensure that we reached this final
agreement.
Mr. Speaker, again, I am very pleased with this conference report. I
urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bicameral, bipartisan
effort to improve the prevention and treatment of child abuse and
family violence.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I rise today in support of Senate bill 342, the Keeping
Children and Families Safe Act to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act.
First of all, I want to commend Chairman Boehner and Ranking Member
Miller for their movement of this legislation to the floor. Obviously I
am pleased with my participation as a member of the conference
committee. I also commend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra),
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood), and the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for their participation. Also I would like to
thank the House committee Democratic staff, Ruth Friedman, Ricardo
Martinez, and Maggie McDow and the Republican committee staff, Pam
Davidson, Krisann Pearce, Kate Houston, Rebecca Hunt, and Judy Boyer
for all of their hard work and collaboration with the Senate staff in
shaping this legislation to better serve some of our neediest and most
helpless citizens.
In the year 2000, about 879,000 children were victims of abuse and
neglect in this country. Of this number, approximately 1,200 children
died of abuse or neglect, and 44 percent of those children were under
the age of 1. It is indeed a disturbing thought that an adult would
want to hurt an innocent, helpless child. Yet it occurs and it occurs
daily in this country. The United States Congress has in the recent
past taken to the floor to bring awareness to the problem and the need
to deal with child abuse in this country. This resolution allows us to
not only acknowledge this tragic problem but also to provide some
assistance to the children and the families that are victims of abuse.
I am very proud of the many good provisions of this legislation. One
is the increase of funds from $33 million to $80 million for community-
based groups that run programs to strengthen and support families in
efforts to reduce the level of child abuse that exists and that exists
among families. There are also other new funds and emphasis to better
meet the needs of abused children, such as providing funds to meet the
needs of children who witness domestic violence and have policies in
place to address the needs of infants who are born and identified as
having been physically affected by prenatal exposure to illegal drugs
or to HIV or who are HIV-infected.
However, this bill would only be doing half its job if we did not
also look at individuals who assist the victims of abuse. There will be
grants made available to improve child protection services,
particularly cross-training to enable child protection service workers
to better recognize the signs of domestic violence and substance abuse
in addition to child abuse. It also calls on States to provide better
training and to strengthen efforts toward child abuse prevention
programs.
As our economy worsens and the number of unemployed, especially long-
term unemployment, rises, we need to recall the correlation between the
state of the economy and violence. With high unemployment and a weak
economy, more adults will become frustrated and depressed, both of
which often lead to child abuse. You mix together an unemployed
individual who feels depressed, frustrated and stressed, who becomes
overwhelmed, and it is unfortunate that more of them will take out
their rage or their emotion on whoever is closest or whatever is
closest to them. At times, sadly, this may be released on a spouse or a
child.
Just as the bill would be incomplete if it did not acknowledge
improvements for child protection systems, we would be incomplete in
our focus on improving the status of at-risk children if we did not
acknowledge the state of the economy and the need of a tax credit for
our neediest families. One may not see the correlation, but it is
there. If we are going to stand here today and send the message that we
sincerely care about the well-being of the less fortunate victims in
our Nation, we cannot then in the next breath send the message to the
once-abused mother or father that they are not worth the child tax
credit, or to the children who witness domestic violence or violent
crimes around their home on a regular and ongoing basis that they are
not worth a concrete, comprehensive program like Head Start.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, I am proud of this bill, Keeping
Families and Children Safe Act; but I also do not believe that we are
doing a complete job, that we are doing enough to help the neediest and
the most helpless, and sometimes youngest, victims in our Nation to be
safe and secure.
And so I commend the gentleman from Michigan; I commend all of those
who have worked and helped shape this legislation. I support this
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Burns), a member of the subcommittee.
Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the
conference report on S. 342, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act
of 2003. As a member of the conference committee, I am proud that it
reauthorizes several programs that are critical to families in our
country.
The bill focuses resources on preventing child abuse, improving
opportunities for adoption of foster children, and protecting families
from violence. It does so by providing necessary funds to identify and
address issues of child abuse and neglect and working to stop family
violence before it occurs. These issues know no party or boundary.
This bipartisan legislation recognizes that we must address the
problems in a comprehensive way. It shows that we can bring public and
private resources to bear in this fight by promoting partnerships
between child protective services and community-based organizations.
The conference report also gives priority to the training, recruitment,
and retention of those who provide services for the victims of violence
and abuse. We must not lose the benefits of the experience of these
individuals.
Our families and children form the basis of our society and the
future of our country. By providing a national clearinghouse of
effective child abuse prevention programs and training resources for
law enforcement and social service personnel, we can help State and
local programs operate more effectively. This bill demonstrates our
national commitment to the welfare of those most vulnerable of our
citizens. We have an opportunity to help break the cycle of domestic
violence and abuse and give a better future to children who would have
had no future at all. I would urge all of my colleagues to vote for the
conference report and pass this legislation today.
[[Page H5441]]
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 6
minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), who is indeed
an advocate for children, not only an advocate for children but who is
indeed an advocate for whatever is good and wholesome for the United
States of America.
{time} 1515
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the very distinguished
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding me this time.
I have very much appreciated his leadership on the issues dealing
with children in America. We have spent some time in Texas listening to
many of our social worker, skilled social workers from around the
Nation giving us instructions on the importance of providing social
services to the needs of our children.
To the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the full committee
chairman; and to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller); and
to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) for his leadership on
this issue, I too rise in support of S. 342, Keeping Children and
Families Safe Act of 2003, and will share a number of comments on the
importance of this legislation that deals with enhancing the resources
and the instructions and guidelines for protecting the Nation's
children against abuse and neglect.
It is not my purpose to fault one State over another. Certainly all
of us come from jurisdictions that can stand improvement, and this
legislation will help us do so. But in the last few weeks and months,
we note the tragedies that occurred in the State of New Jersey and
Florida, in particular in Florida the missing little girl still yet to
be found who was taken away from her grandmother by someone who alleged
to be within the children's protective services, and similar stories in
the State of New Jersey shows that our system is broken and needs to be
fixed. Frankly, this legislation ensures that hopefully that we can
focus on that broken aspect.
There is currently a $2.5 billion spending gap between what this
country spends on child abuse and prevention and what is needed, and as
a Nation we cannot rest. We cannot sit idly by with the knowledge that
millions of children are not being properly cared for. Child abuse and
neglect victims may experience one or more kinds of maltreatment
including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological or other
maltreatment. Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment;
and in recent years, close to 63 percent of child abuse victims suffer
neglect including medical neglect.
Of the millions of children who reported abuse and neglect, 24
percent suffered physical abuse, 12 percent suffered sexual abuse, 6
percent suffered emotional maltreatment, and 3 percent suffered from
medical neglect. Sadly, almost 40 percent of the children are under the
age of six. Unfortunately, in my home State of Texas, 47,400 children
were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect. There are over 6 million
children in Texas. This legislation will hopefully focus with
resources, instruction, and of course aiding and insisting on better
services in our States to make sure that we confront this problem head
on.
Just a few years ago I joined with the children's protective services
in Harris County to tackle the problem of abandoned children, to engage
in a billboard campaign along with other outreach campaigns to insist
that there are other ways to avoid abandoning a baby and leaving a
child unattended and to be able to work with the children's protective
services and foster parent care to ensure that our children are never
abandoned along a roadside or in a garbage dump. We are still working
on that problem, Mr. Speaker; and we have a long way to go.
I would say that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is
absolutely correct. While we are protecting our children against abuse,
whether it is sexual abuse and neglect, whether it is by way of medical
treatment or nutrition, we also need to look at programs that are
headed our way to this floor; and certainly this morning in a hearing
sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus it is very clear that the
Head Start program is not broken and should not be fixed. Absolutely,
legislation that is making its way to this floor should not include a
block grant provision that takes moneys away from this vital Head Start
program, 38 years old, that provides nurturing and caring attitudes
toward our children, a nurturing and supportive atmosphere for our
parents, immunization and nutrition, giving some of these children two
meals a day that they would have never have gotten. This effort to
block grant this program even if it is only in eight States, Mr.
Speaker, is misdirected and loses the point of what Head Start has done
for 38 years. Clearly, we can work to improve our program; but we
should not abolish it, and we have people in Congress today, Head Start
professionals and parents, who are advocating do not abolish Head
Start; and I hope that our colleagues will listen to them.
I would say also, Mr. Speaker, that we have another job yet undone,
and that is to provide a tax credit for low-income children. Yes, this
legislation is extremely important. But today, June 17, 2003, America's
low-income children still do not have a tax credit. What we can do, Mr.
Speaker, is immediately pass the Senate bill and send it to the
President's desk and send the Senate bill to our low-income families.
In my State of Texas, 2.129 million children are missing the impact of
a low-income tax credit because we have stalled this legislation in the
House. In addition, 12 million to 19 million children could be helped
by the Senate bill along with the children of our military families,
some of whom have their loved ones on the front lines of Iraq.
Mr. Speaker, this body should be a problem-solver. As the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Davis) has said, we have a lot of work that we have
accomplished, but much work to be done. Let us not abolish Head Start
with this misdirected legislation headed to the floor. Let us pass this
legislation enthusiastically to protect our children, but yet let us
not leave 19 million children out in the cold without an effective
child tax credit for low-income families. Let us pass that legislation
as we pass S. 342, and let us work to secure and protect Head Start
funding to the Head Start programs and not abolish it by block granting
those funds to the State.
I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding me this time, and I
ask my colleagues to enthusiastically support S. 342.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and the underlying
Conference Report on S. 342, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act
of 2003. I join my colleagues and reiterate how important it is to
protect our children from abuse and neglect.
Many states are dependent on Federal money to meet the increasing
demand for child abuse prevention programs. This legislation is
important because it is the only Federal legislation that directly
addresses the prevention of child abuse. Currently, there is a $2.5
billion spending gap between what this country spends on child abuse
prevention and what is needed. As a nation we cannot rest, we can not
sit idly by with the knowledge that millions of children are not being
properly cared for.
Child abuse and neglect victims may experience one or more kinds of
maltreatment including neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse,
psychological or other maltreatment. Neglect is the most common form of
child maltreatment and in recent years close to 63 percent of child
abuse victims suffered neglect (including medical neglect). Of the
millions of children who are reported abused or neglected, 24 percent
suffered physical abuse, 12 percent suffered sexual abuse, 6 percent
suffered emotional maltreatment and three percent suffered from medical
neglect. Sadly, almost 40 percent of the children were under the age of
6.
I am particularly concerned with that 12 percent of cases involving
sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse includes actual physical abuse such as
touching a child's genital area or molestation, and it also includes
sexual assault, self-exposure (flashing), voyeurism, and exposing
children to pornography.
Unfortunately, in my home state of Texas 47,400 children are
confirmed victims of abuse or neglect. I want to put that number into
perspective, Mr. Speaker. There are over six million children in Texas.
Over one million Texas children live in poverty. Many of the children
and families I am talking about would not have been eligible for the
Republican's child tax credit. Studies have shown that poverty is one
of the many societal elements that can increase the occurrence of child
abuse. I am glad to say that this underlying bill will lead to services
for all families, including those whose incomes are low.
It is beyond reprehensible that anyone would treat children in this
way. Furthermore,
[[Page H5442]]
it would be despicable for this Congress not to do everything possible
to help prevent such abuse.
Between 1993 and 1999, the incidence of child abuse and neglect
declined on the national level. However, after 1999 the incidence of
child abuse rose. We must turn that tide back around. We must not be
discouraged by the size of the problem we must seek to work together,
in a bipartisan way. Because the matter of protecting our children is
not political or partisan it is simply the most important thing that
this body can do.
There is more that we can do. In fact, there is more that we must do.
The underlying bill is a step in the right direction therefore I
support the rule on the Conference Report for S. 342.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Nevada (Mr. Porter), vice chairman of the subcommittee.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference
agreement to S. 342, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of
2003. Mr. Speaker, this legislation builds upon changes made during the
last reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, directing its
efforts towards the prevention of child abuse and neglect and family
violence in collaboration with child protective services. It would
ensure that States have the necessary flexibility and resources for
identifying and addressing the issues of child maltreatment and family
violence before they occur and works to protect and treat abused and
neglected children and victims of family violence.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human
Services, in 2001 there were an estimated 903,000 victims of abuse or
neglect nationally. Almost three-fifths of all victims suffered from
neglect, and the most victimized children were in the zero to three age
group. In Clark County, Nevada, while there was an increase in the
number of child abuse and neglect reports, up in 2001 to 8,316, in 2000
there was a drop to 7,932. There was a decrease in the substantiated
child abuse reports as a percentage of the total reports in 2001,
having continually declined from 1997. And with the improvements we
have established throughout the intense conference negotiations on the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, I hope to see a further
decline in child abuse and family violence across this country.
It is important that children and families can lead safe and healthy
lives. Treatment and preventative measures are essential to stopping
this abuse. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I noticed that the chairman of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce has come to the floor, and again I want to
reiterate my commendations to him for the outstanding leadership that
he has provided in bringing this legislation before us and to the floor
of the House.
I have always been told that the greatness of a society can be
determined by how well it looks after its old, how well it looks after
its young, and what it does for those who have difficulty in looking
out for themselves. And when we think about abused and neglected
children, we are thinking about individuals who have difficulty looking
out for themselves.
For the last 10 or more years each Christmas Eve, I and a group of my
friends visit what we call halfway houses for neglected and abused
children; and to see little children in the basements of apartment
buildings, in the basements of churches or in many instances just
places that the keepers of these facilities have found and to see them
there with little hope, with no real encouragement, and not even
knowing what the season is about, and to see the glee and the joy that
they have just when they are given an apple or an orange or some fruit
or a toy that someone else may have just given away, that speaks to
what this legislation will mean. If we can prevent families from taking
out their frustration on children, if we can find children who have
left home, who themselves are confused, if we can bring hope to the
hopeless and help to those who are helpless, then that is really what
America should be about; and that is one of the things that this
legislation helps to do. So once again, I commend all of those who have
been instrumental in bringing it to this point.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for the
kind words and the tone of discussion and the debate today. It is not a
debate. We have worked very positively in a bipartisan way to bring
this legislation not only through the House but through a conference
committee, and one of the instrumental leaders in making sure that that
is a tone that we have on the committee and the tone for this piece of
legislation is the chairman of the full committee.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman
Boehner) and express our appreciation and thanks for having the
opportunity to move this bill.
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this
time.
I thank both him and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and many
others for their efforts in bringing us here, and I rise today in
support of the conference report to S. 342, the Keeping Children and
Families Safe Act of 2003. This conference report reauthorizes the
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Family Violence
Prevention and Services Act and related programs and acts. The
conference report represents, I think, our efforts and commitment to
once again ensure that programs aimed at the prevention of child abuse
and neglect are strengthened and continue to serve vulnerable children.
When this process began, we wanted to ensure that the final bill
reflected our strong belief that every child in America deserves the
security of being part of a safe, permanent, and caring family. And I
am pleased to say that the conference report that we have before us
does just that. It aims to improve program implementation, making
enhancements to current law to ensure that States have the necessary
resources and flexibility to properly address the prevention of child
abuse and neglect. This conference report retains language to ensure
that children are protected from abuse and neglect through best
practice prevention and treatment services. And, importantly, it
continues to reflect our belief that we can help achieve this goal by
maintaining resources for adoption opportunities, identifying and
addressing the needs of abandoned infants, and ensuring that resources
continue to be available to promote family violence prevention
activities. This conference report also retains language to address the
problem of child abandonment and abuse with effective solutions that
make a real difference in the lives of children.
In addition, this conference report continues to appropriately
address issues regarding child protective services across the United
States by enhancing training for personnel, requiring more effective
partnerships between child protective services and private and
community-based organizations, and improving public education on the
children protection system. This conference report enjoys a strong
bipartisan support and is widely supported throughout the child abuse
prevention and family violence prevention communities. I want to thank
all the conferees from both the House and the Senate for their efforts
in getting us to this point.
I especially want to thank the Select Education Subcommittee chairman
(Chairman Hoekstra) for his leadership and dedication to the completion
of this conference report; the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Greenwood); the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa); the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis); and the gentleman from California (Mr. George
Miller), my friend and the ranking member of our committee.
{time} 1530
I wish to thank Senator Gregg, the Chairman of the Senate Health
Committee, Senator Kennedy, the ranking member, and Senator Dodd for
their assistance in finalizing and helping us bring this legislation
forward today.
I also want to thank the staff for their hard work and their
dedication, especially Krisann Pearce, Pam Davidson, Kate Houston,
Holli Traud, Alexa Marrero, and Jo-Marie St. Martin of
[[Page H5443]]
my committee staff; Ruth Friedman with the gentleman from California
(Mr. George Miller), Ricardo Martinez with the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Hinojosa), Rebecca Hunt with the staff of the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra), Judy Borger and Matt Haggerty with the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood), and the counsel from the
minority side, Mort Zuckerman, whom I see in the Chamber. They have all
worked in an especially close way to help bring us here today.
So I want to urge my colleagues to support the conference report to
S. 342, and thank them for all of their hard work.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to note it is a pleasure to see as many
children in the Chamber as there are to see this bipartisan legislation
being approved. I would reiterate that there is nothing more important
that America could do than to demonstrate how important children are
and prepare for the future leaders of our Nation to emerge, to have the
kind of services that they need, the kind of programs.
We cannot afford to lose a single one. So every time we can go out
and bring in a child who may have been lost, may have been neglected or
may have been abused we are actually doing the best work that we could
do. I would urge support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to just reiterate my support to the
comments of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). It is absolutely
true that society will be measured by how we take care of those who are
least able to take care of themselves. This bill is a step in the right
direction. I hope that we can continued working on these issues and
other issues to make sure that we do not leave a single child behind,
either at this stage in life through the education process or later on
as they enter into higher education.
Those are all the kinds of issues that we will either consider at the
subcommittee or the full committee level, and hopefully we can continue
to maintain this bipartisan support on these very, very critical
issues, recognizing that we each come from different communities with
different perspectives, different backgrounds and different needs, and
that by bringing those perspectives to the committee, by bringing those
perspectives to the House, we will reach the appropriate kind of
legislation that will have the most impact and most beneficial impact
across America.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I commend the committee leadership in both
Chambers for bringing forth this agreement, which represents a
bipartisan, bicameral effort to protect children.
As with the Amber Alert legislation, and the Runaway, Homeless and
Missing Children Protection Act that passed the House earlier this
year, this legislation shows that we are unified in our desire to
protect young people who are in danger. I am proud to be a part of this
effort.
I won't repeat all the technical aspects of the bill, but this effort
will focus on the prevention and treatment of child abuse by
authorizing grants to States to help with the functions of the child
protection system. It also provides authority for research and
demonstration projects, enhances investigations and prosecutions of
maltreatment, and provides grants for local community-based programs.
I am pleased that we were able to include in the final agreement
demonstration programs to assist children who witness domestic violence
as well as an Internet enhancement of the domestic violence hotline.
There is no more important task before this Congress than to protect
the most vulnerable of our Nation's children.
I only hope that our commitment to children will extend beyond
rhetoric to the resources needed to fully fund these and other programs
for children. Unfortunately, help for poor, disadvantaged children has
taken a backseat to tax breaks for the wealthy. We are sending a clear
message to our young people, not only will we leave you behind, we will
also leave you the bill.
I firmly urge all my colleagues to support the final conference
agreement. When the time comes, I also urge you to support the
resources necessary to protect, defend, and educate our children.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flake). Without objection, the previous
question is ordered on the conference report.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the conference report.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question are postponed.
____________________