[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 27 (Wednesday, March 9, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CONGRESS MUST ACT TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 9, 2005

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, for more than 10 years, the Violence Against 
Women Act (VAWA) has helped protect women in this country from 
violence, abuse, sexual assault, and sexual predators. This landmark 
piece of legislation was achieved in part by the bipartisan efforts of 
the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, of which I am proud to be a 
member.
  VAWA has provided improved access to services and resources for 
victims of violence and their families. It has made a real difference 
in the lives of women and children, who no longer suffer in silence.
  Community programs funded through VAWA aid law enforcement officers 
and prosecutors, encourage arrest policies, stem domestic violence and 
child abuse, establish and operate training programs for victim 
advocates and counselors, and train probation and parole officers who 
work with released sex offenders. VAWA has also led to the creation of 
battered women's shelters, rape prevention and education programs, the 
reduction of sexual abuse of runaway and homeless street youth, and 
community programs on domestic violence.
  Despite the success of this legislation, we still have much work to 
do.
  One out of every four women will experience domestic violence during 
her lifetime. Equally alarming is that women ages 16 to 24 experience 
the highest per capita rates of intimate partner violence.
  VAWA is up for reauthorization in this Congress. We must come 
together to put forward a bill that strengthens and improves our 
efforts to combat violence against women, including doing more for 
violence prevention. An essential component of prevention must be to 
increase outreach to young people.
  We must also encourage adequate funding of VAWA initiatives. 
Unfortunately, each year we fall further behind in fulfilling the 
promises made in the authorization of VAWA. This year alone the Bush 
budget is more than $163 million short of the goal.
  As we recognize the vital role of the Violence Against Women Act, I 
urge my colleagues to reauthorize VAWA in a bipartisan way and to 
dedicate the necessary resources to fulfill its mission.

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