[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H3483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     YVETTE CADE--VICTOR NOT VICTIM

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, in 2005, Yvette Cade walked into the Maryland 
courtroom of District Judge Richard Palumbo to extend the restraining 
order she had on her estranged husband. She was tired of the abuse. She 
wanted ``an immediate and absolute divorce.''
  Judge Palumbo, however, refused to grant the victim's request, made 
snide remarks and dismissed the assault case, including the protective 
order. Two weeks later, Yvette Cade's estranged husband walked into her 
place of business, doused her with gasoline, struck a match and set her 
on fire.
  Miraculously, Yvette Cade survived this brutal attack. She received 
third-degree burns over 60 percent of her body, yet she refused to let 
her physical injuries silence her voice. She became an outspoken 
advocate against domestic violence, urging women in abusive 
relationships to leave. She has appeared on ``Nancy Grace'' and 
``Oprah.''
  During this National Crime Victims' Rights Week, we honor remarkable 
people like Yvette Cade who speak out for victims. Tonight, the 
Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus will award Yvette Cade the Unsung 
Hero Award for triumphing over her personal tragedy to become a victor 
rather than a victim.
  And that's just the way it is.

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