[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 42 (Wednesday, April 5, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTRODUCTION OF VICTIMS' RIGHTS WEEK RESOLUTION

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                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 2006

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Victim's 
Rights Caucus, I rise today to introduce the 2006 Victims Rights Week 
Resolution on behalf of myself, and Caucus Co-chairs Congressman Ted 
Poe of Texas and Congresswoman Katherine Harris of Florida. This 
concurrent resolution expresses Congress' support of the goals and 
ideals of National Crime Victims' Rights Week and the efforts to 
increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of crime 
victims and survivors in the United States. This observance will take 
place the week of April 23 through April 29.
  In 1980, President Reagan first called for a national observance to 
recognize and honor the millions of victims of crimes in our country, 
their families, and survivors. National Crime Victims' Rights Week also 
pays tribute to the thousands of community-based and system-based 
victim services providers and to the criminal justice and allied 
professionals who provide critical support and assistance to victims 
every week of the year. National Crime Victims' Rights Week has since 
been proclaimed annually with ceremonies and observances in Washington 
D.C. and in hundreds of communities throughout our nation.
  President Reagan's commitment to the rights of victims lead to the 
passage of the Victims of Crime Act, which in 1984 created the Crime 
Victims Fund. Since then, the Crime Victims Fund has dedicated more 
than $7.4 billion collected from criminal fines--not taxpayers 
dollars--that annually supports more than 4,400 victim assistance 
programs serving some 3.8 million victims and compensation to more than 
165,000 victims for their unreimbursed medical expenses, lost wages and 
funeral costs.
  The 2006 National Crime Victims' Rights Week theme is ``Victims' 
Rights: Strength in Unity.'' It is indeed appropriate because today an 
unprecedented coalition of victims and survivors, victim advocacy 
organizations, justice professional and service providers are once 
together joining together to protect the Crime Victims Fund, a legacy 
of the Reagan Administration.
  Before the emergence of the victims' rights movement, you would hear 
plenty about criminals, but nothing about victims. You could go to 
college and take courses to learn how to help and manage abusers, but 
little was said about those they abused. Crime was the main issue; 
victims, if at all, were an afterthought, Meanwhile, society treated 
victims in the same manner. Victims had no voice. They had few rights. 
They were largely left in the shadows.
  This has changed thanks to our Nation's victims' rights movement. 
Today, victims of crime and those who serve them have not only a voice, 
but a vision for what justice should look like in America. Today, there 
are over 32,000 laws that define and protect victim's rights. In 2006, 
we not only listen to victims; we learn from them. We are beginning to 
view them not only as an obligation mandated by law, but also as an 
opportunity--as people with vital information to help us better manage 
violent offenders; and as people who have helped us understand the 
devastating impact of crime.
  I am proud to be one of the three co-founders, along with 
Representatives Poe and Harris of the Congressional Victim's Rights 
Caucus. The goals of the Victim's Rights Caucus are to (1) represent 
crime victims in the United States through the bipartisan legislation 
that reflects their interests, rights and needs; (2) provide an ongoing 
forum for proactive interactions between the U.S. Congress and national 
victim assistance organizations to enhance mutual education, 
legislative advocacy and initiatives that promote justice for all--
including victims of crime; and (3) seek opportunities for public 
education initiatives to help people in America to understand the 
impact of crime on victims, and to encourage their involvement in crime 
prevention, victim assistance, and community safety.
  Crime does not know any geographic, demographic or political 
boundaries; it touches all of our constituents in every community. And 
so, as Congress expresses its support for National Crime Victims Rights 
Week and its efforts to increase public awareness of the impact of 
crime on victims, survivors and on our communities, we encourage all 
members to join the Caucus, as a critical voice of victims, in the 
Congress.

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