[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE WITH RESPECT TO RAISING AWARENESS AND 
                ENCOURAGING PREVENTION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 23, 2007

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H. Res. 289, which expresses the ``sense of the House of 
Representatives with respect to raising awareness and encouraging 
prevention of sexual assault in the United States and supporting the 
goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
Month.
  I was the lead Democratic sponsor of the original legislation, 
introduced by former Representative Mark Green and signed into law in 
2003, that designated April as National Sexual Assault Awareness and 
Prevention Month.
  While we are taking the time today to highlight this important issue, 
it is important that we remember that preventing sexual assault should 
be a top priority during each month of the year. We must also remember 
that violence against women is not just a women's issue, it is a men's 
issue, too.
  Every 2\1/2\ minutes, someone in the United States is sexually 
assaulted. I have long been a champion of increased efforts to prevent 
violence against women and in 2004, legislation that I first 
introduced, ``The Debbie Smith Act,'' was signed into law. Through this 
landmark act, we have the ability to protect our daughters, our 
sisters, and our friends by putting rapists behind bars through DNA 
evidence. We know that DNA evidence is better than a fresh set of 
fingerprints. And we know that it is often better than eyewitness 
testimony. With ``The Debbie Smith Act,'' the hundreds of thousands of 
rape kits that were gathering dust across the country are finally being 
processed.
  It is vitally important that we support the Violence Against Women 
Act by fully funding the important programs that will help women escape 
abusive and dangerous situations and begin new lives that are free from 
violence and fear. The organizations, shelters, and counseling centers 
that are on the front lines of this problem need our steadfast 
commitment that they will have the resources to continue their 
important work.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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