[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 16 (Friday, January 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1244-S1245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL STALKING AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to Calendar No. 14, S. Res. 24.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 24) designating January 2007 as 
     National Stalking Awareness Month.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the 
Record, without further intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 24) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 24

       Whereas an estimated 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are 
     stalked annually in the United States and, in the majority of 
     such cases, the person is stalked by someone who is not a 
     stranger;
       Whereas 81 percent of women who are stalked by an intimate 
     partner are also

[[Page S1245]]

     physically assaulted by that partner, and 76 percent of women 
     who are killed by an intimate partner were also stalked by 
     that intimate partner;
       Whereas 26 percent of stalking victims lose time from work 
     as a result of their victimization, and 7 percent never 
     return to work;
       Whereas stalking victims are forced to take drastic 
     measures to protect themselves, such as relocating, changing 
     their addresses, changing their identities, changing jobs, 
     and obtaining protection orders;
       Whereas stalking is a crime that cuts across race, culture, 
     gender, age, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, 
     and economic status;
       Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law and under the 
     laws of all 50 States and the District of Columbia;
       Whereas rapid advancements in technology have made cyber-
     surveillance the new frontier in stalking;
       Whereas there are national organizations, local victim 
     service organizations, prosecutors' offices, and police 
     departments that stand ready to assist stalking victims and 
     who are working diligently to craft competent, thorough, and 
     innovative responses to stalking; and
       Whereas there is a need to enhance the criminal justice 
     system's response to stalking, including through aggressive 
     investigation and prosecution: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate designates January 2007 as ``National 
     Stalking Awareness Month'';
       (2) it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (A) National Stalking Awareness Month provides an 
     opportunity to educate the people of the United States about 
     stalking;
       (B) the people of the United States should applaud the 
     efforts of the many victim service providers, such as police, 
     prosecutors, national and community organizations, and 
     private sector supporters, for their efforts in promoting 
     awareness about stalking; and
       (C) policymakers, criminal justice officials, victim 
     service and human service agencies, nonprofit organizations, 
     and others should recognize the need to increase awareness of 
     stalking and availability of services for stalking victims; 
     and
       (3) the Senate urges national and community organizations, 
     businesses, and the media to promote, through observation of 
     National Stalking Awareness Month, awareness of the crime of 
     stalking.

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