[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 163 (Saturday, December 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TORTURE VICTIMS RELIEF REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2005

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Torture 
Victims Relief Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2017). The Torture Victims 
Relief Act (TVRA) has provided critical support to thousands of 
survivors of torture since it was first authorized in 1999. The sad 
fact is that torture is still used by governments around the world and 
the need for the bill is as pronounced as ever. With revelations of the 
U.S.'s own use of torture making waves around the world, we can ill 
afford to take a step back in the field of torture treatment.
  The United States must renew its commitment against the use of 
torture. And it must support efforts to ease the pain and suffering of 
those living in parts of the world where there are no other resources--
not to mention political motivation--to help survivors of torture.
  Currently, 27 programs in 17 states including Illinois receive 
assistance for torture treatment in the U.S. Treatment provided by 
these programs enables survivors of torture to recover their lives and 
become productive members of their communities. Many of these centers, 
including the center in Illinois, also train mainstream professionals. 
This increases the ability of health care providers, attorneys, leaders 
of faith, and others, to provide for the special needs of torture 
victims and contribute to the. prevention of torture.
  The TVRA is at work in my district, supporting the work of the 
Marjorie Kovler Center of Heartland Alliance. The Center provides 
medical, mental health and social services to more than 300 torture 
survivors every year. While these services are provided for people 
across the state and into Indiana and Wisconsin, the Center receives 
more referrals from my Congressional district than any other. These 
individuals make their way to our community at great personal cost. 
They come seeking safety, only to be confronted with the difficulties 
of adjusting to life in the United States. They each carry a heavy 
burden from the trauma they have suffered, and many would not become 
the productive members of the community that they want to be if it not 
for the services supported by the TVRA.
  In addition to the people in my district that the Center serves, I am 
proud to say that dozens of my constituents volunteer and work at the 
Marjorie Kovler Center. I have had the opportunity to meet many of them 
at events in the district over the past several years and am aware of 
their skill and commitment. The fact is that volunteer and in-kind 
donations worth more than $400,000 annually leverage funds from the 
TVRA spent in my district. This amounts to a one-to-one match of 
Federal funds provided by my community.
  For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support the Torture 
Victim Relief Reauthorization Act, and I urge my colleagues to support 
funding for torture treatment centers.

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