[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 143 (Tuesday, September 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10791-H10793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS 
                                 MONTH

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 590) supporting the goals and 
ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and expressing the 
sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should raise 
awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating 
effects on families and communities, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 590

       Whereas one in four women will experience domestic violence 
     sometime in her life;
       Whereas domestic violence affects men, women, and children 
     of all ages, racial, ethnic, economic, and religious 
     backgrounds;
       Whereas women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates, 
     per capita, of intimate partner violence;
       Whereas 13 percent of teenage girls who have been in a 
     relationship report being hit or hurt by their partners and 
     one in four teenage girls has been in a relationship in which 
     she was pressured into performing sexual acts by her partner;
       Whereas there is a need for middle schools, secondary 
     schools, and post-secondary schools to educate students about 
     the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating 
     violence, and stalking;
       Whereas the annual cost of lost productivity due to 
     domestic violence is estimated as $727,800,000 with over 
     $7,900,000 paid workdays lost per year;
       Whereas homicides were the second leading cause of death on 
     the job for women, with 15 percent of the 119 workplace 
     homicides of women in 2003 attributed to a current or former 
     husband or boyfriend;
       Whereas landlords frequently deny housing to victims of 
     domestic violence who have protection orders or evict victims 
     of domestic violence for seeking help, such as by calling 
     911, after a domestic violence incident or who have other 
     indications that they are domestic violence victims;
       Whereas 92 percent of homeless women experience severe 
     physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lifetimes;
       Whereas Americans suffer 2,200,000 medically treated 
     injuries due to interpersonal violence annually, at a cost of 
     $37,000,000,000 ($33,000,000,000 in productivity losses, 
     $4,000,000,000 in medical treatment);
       Whereas people aged 15 to 44 years comprise 44 percent of 
     the population, but account for nearly 75 percent of injuries 
     and 83 percent of costs due to interpersonal violence;
       Whereas 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse women also abuse 
     children;
       Whereas male children exposed to domestic violence are 
     twice as likely to abuse their own partners;
       Whereas children exposed to domestic violence are more 
     likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away 
     from home, and engage in teenage prostitution;
       Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 
     60 percent more likely to report one or more suicide attempts 
     in the past year;
       Whereas 13.7 percent of the victims of murder-suicide cases 
     were the children of the perpetrator and 74.6 percent were 
     female while 91.9 percent of the perpetrators were male; in 
     30 percent of those cases the male perpetrator also committed 
     suicide;
       Whereas a 2001 study by the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (CDC) on homicide among intimate partners found 
     that female intimate partners are more likely to be murdered 
     with a firearm than all other means combined;
       Whereas according to one study, during court ordered 
     visitation, five percent of abusive fathers threaten to kill 
     their spouses, 34 percent of abusive fathers threaten to 
     kidnap their children, and 25 percent of abusive fathers 
     threaten to physically hurt their children;
       Whereas homicide is the third leading cause of death for 
     Native American women and 75 percent of Native American women 
     who are killed are killed by a family member or an 
     acquaintance;
       Whereas 88 percent of men think that our society should do 
     more to respect women and girls;
       Whereas men say that the entertainment industry, government 
     leaders and elected officials, the sports industry, schools, 
     colleges and universities, the news media and employers 
     should be doing more to prevent intimate partner violence;
       Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs 
     carried out under the Violence Against Women and Department 
     of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), Public 
     Law 109-162, aimed at intervening and preventing domestic 
     violence in the United States; and
       Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to 
     preventing and ending domestic violence should be recognized: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic 
     Violence Awareness Month; and
       (2) expresses the sense of the House of Representatives 
     that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic 
     violence in the United States and its devastating effects on 
     families and communities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. McCarthy) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kline) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days 
during which Members may insert material relevant to H. Res. 590 into 
the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mrs. McCARTHY of New York asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I want to call 
attention to the fact that October is Domestic Violence Awareness 
Month, as first declared by Congress in 1998, and I also would like to 
thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) for bringing this forward 
through the Education Committee.
  Throughout October, thousands of groups hold events to bring 
awareness to the violence that affects millions of men, women and 
children in our country every single year. The positive effect of this 
advocacy has increased community awareness about domestic violence.
  Increased knowledge about domestic violence and the services 
available helps victims seek help, holds abusers accountable, and helps 
children live in homes where violence is not condoned. In addition to 
recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our Congress 
has recognized that domestic violence is a serious crime by passing 
laws such as the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the 
Victims of Crime Act and the Violence Against Women Act.
  Preventing domestic violence is critical in addressing and breaking 
the cycle of violence. And it is a cycle. Whether the violence is found 
in a dating situation or in married life, the strongest risk factor of 
violent behavior continuing from one generation to the next is if 
children are witnessing this violence. Evidence shows that children who 
witness domestic violence at home are more likely to engage in violent 
behavior, do poorly in school, use drugs and alcohol, and at an early 
age engage in risky sexual behavior and develop mental illness issues.
  Domestic violence adversely affects the workplace by negatively 
impacting the victim's health and safety, decreasing employee 
productivity, and increasing health care costs.
  A Bureau of Labor Statistics national survey found that 21 percent of 
full-time employed adults were the victims of domestic violence.
  Congress must continue to lead in making our Nation aware of domestic 
violence and its impact on our society. We must assist the men, women 
and children affected by domestic violence while prosecuting this as a 
crime.
  In my district in Nassau County, there were over 5,000 domestic 
violence hotline calls last year, and 2,700 domestic violence victims 
received services other than hotline calls. They received counseling, 
legal and residential and nonresidential services. But, unfortunately, 
we did not reach all of them. There is still much work to be done.
  During October, the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence 
will do its part in reaching the community through trainings with the 
police department, medical staff, students in social work programs, and 
public safety announcements.
  Mr. Speaker, clearly we need to work with the men and women of this 
Nation to educate them on what domestic violence is, the impact upon 
society and how to stop it in each community. It affects our children 
and it affects our community. It affects all of us.

[[Page H10792]]

  I hope that my colleagues will support this resolution and the work 
being done in their communities and across the Nation to raise 
awareness of and break the cycle of domestic violence.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 590, 
supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness 
Month and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
Congress should raise awareness of domestic violence in the United 
States and its devastating effects on families and communities.
  October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and is 
recognized as such in communities across the country. This designation 
helps to focus public attention on this widespread and devastating 
crime.
  The problem of domestic violence is centuries old, and our attention 
to the matter has grown, but we need to do more to raise awareness of 
this problem.

                              {time}  1345

  One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her 
lifetime. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to 
abuse their partners and children when they become adults. The cost of 
intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year. As evidenced 
by these staggering statistics, domestic violence has far-reaching 
effects on society.
  Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, assault, battery, 
sexual assault and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate 
partner against another. It is an epidemic that affects men, women and 
children in every community regardless of age, economic status, 
religion, nationality, educational background, or gender.
  When we think of domestic violence, we often think of women being the 
victims. However, men are victimized by violence as well. Male victims 
are less likely than women to report violence and seek services due to 
concerns over the stigma associated with being a male victim, or not 
being believed. Both men and women experience the same dynamics of 
interpersonal violence including experiences of disbelief, ridicule, 
and shame that only enhance their silence.
  Unfortunately, the youngest victims are the children who witness the 
abuse. Research has shown that children witnessing domestic violence 
and living in an environment where violence occurs may experience some 
of the same trauma as abused children. They may become fearful, 
aggressive, or withdrawn. Adolescents may act out or exhibit risk-
taking behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, running away, sexual 
promiscuity, and criminal behavior. All of this behavior has an effect 
on society as a whole, and we must continue to keep domestic violence 
in the forefront so this cycle can be broken now.
  Domestic violence harms the victim, children, the abuser and the 
entire health of American families and communities. Nearly 20 years 
ago, Congress passed legislation recognizing the first Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month. Designating October as National Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month allows organizations and communities concerned 
about domestic violence to leverage this public recognition for 
activities that raise awareness and link victims to services.
  In our role as Members of Congress, we can help galvanize public 
awareness for the victims of domestic violence. Therefore, I urge my 
colleagues to support H. Res. 590.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my 
colleague from California (Mr. Costa) who has been an outspoken person 
against domestic violence.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I 
want to thank her for her strong advocacy on behalf of victims of crime 
and her long history in being a tenacious fighter on behalf of the 
families throughout our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise, as a cochair of the bipartisan Victims Rights 
Caucus, along with Congressman Ted Poe, and speak on behalf of all the 
members of that caucus today to provide strong support for H. Res. 590, 
which supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence 
Awareness Month, which occurs every October. These goals and efforts 
are spelled out among the principles of what the Victims Rights Caucus 
advocates here in the House.
  Next month, communities throughout the Nation will participate in 
National Night Out and Take Back the Night marches in order to bring 
the awful crime of domestic violence, once again, to the forefront 
throughout our communities. This resolution helps to bring more 
awareness of this terrible offense and its effect that it has on our 
families and our neighbors throughout the communities of this great 
country of ours.
  In my home State of California, domestic violence hotlines answer 
more than 30 calls every hour from victims, a sad fact. And domestic 
violence unfortunately continues to plague our families and communities 
unless we come together as a Nation to end it for good, not just in 
terms of the formal efforts that we provide but in terms of all the 
other community organizations that play an important role.
  We must remember that domestic violence victims are our sons. They 
are our daughters. They are our sisters and our brothers, even our 
parents and our neighbors. They struggle to survive after a crime, and 
they deserve our services and support to help them cope during their 
difficult hour.
  Therefore, it is fitting and appropriate that we today support the 
goals and the ideals in recognizing National Domestic Violence 
Awareness Month, which occurs every October.
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time 
as he may consume to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Burton).
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding, and I thank the gentlewoman from New York for handling this 
very important bill. I want to thank Mr. Costa and Mr. Poe for 
sponsoring this legislation.
  When we talk about violence in the family, domestic violence, we 
quote a lot of statistics, and my colleagues have done that very, very 
well. But one of the things that's very hard for people to understand 
is what it's like to actually go through domestic violence.
  It's so important that everybody in America be involved in stopping 
domestic violence. There's so many people that hear some woman scream 
or see some child being beaten by their father and they don't do 
anything about it. They say it's not my business, and so they go on 
their merry way, and they feel like this problem's going to go away. It 
doesn't go away. It gets worse and worse and worse until sometimes 
people get killed or maimed for life.
  My father was six-foot eight, and my mother was five-foot-and-a-half 
inches tall, and he used to beat her so badly that we couldn't 
recognize her. He would tear her clothes off of her in front of me and 
my brother and sister, and then if we said anything he would beat me.
  He went to prison for trying to kill her, and one of the reasons it 
went that far, in my opinion, is because there wasn't enough attention 
paid to what he was doing in the first place.
  I can remember one night about 2 o'clock in the morning my mother, 
who had been beaten up, took me and my brother and sister down to the 
police station in Indianapolis, and she went to the desk sergeant and 
said to him, you know, she wanted to get a restraining order, get away 
from this brute and this brutality. And the desk officer said, you know 
what time it is, lady? It's 2 o'clock in the morning, and these kids 
ought to be in bed. If you don't take these kids home right now, I'm 
going to arrest you for child abuse. That was the attitude that we saw 
back in those days.
  I can remember when she would throw a lamp through the front window 
when he was beating on her or me and scream for help so loud that you 
could hear it for blocks away and nobody came. Nobody's light went on. 
Nobody paid any attention, and that's the crime.
  The crime isn't just the wife abuse or child abuse or spousal abuse. 
The crime is that people don't take it upon themselves to stop it.
  Today, it's a lot better in police departments across this country. 
There's

[[Page H10793]]

a lot of organizations that are trying to help women and kids who are 
abused, and that's great. It's a great step in the right direction, but 
as these statistics that we've heard today will tell you, it goes on 
and on and on. And the only way it's going to stop, if collectively 
across this country, men and women who see violence in public or in 
private or hear about it, report it to the police, report it to the 
proper people and get that brute away from that man and that woman and 
those kids. If we don't do that, this is never going to stop. The brute 
has to be afraid of what's going to happen to him.
  I'll just tell you how this story ends. My mother finally got away 
from him. He went to prison for 2 to 14 years. And when he got out, he 
still tried to bother us. But it wasn't until he realized that he was 
going to go back to jail if he did it again that he stopped. The fear 
of the law, the fear of prosecution, the fear of retaliation for what 
they're doing is the one thing that brutes and wife and child abusers 
understand.
  And so I'd like to say to my colleagues, this is very important 
legislation. I really appreciate it. I'm glad that we sponsor this 
every year, and we need to make sure there's awareness of this.
  But I'd like to say if anybody across the country is paying 
attention, it's your responsibility, every single American, if you see 
a wife or child abuse or abuse of any type like this, report it to the 
police. Tell your friends and neighbors to watch for it. That's the 
only way it's going to stop, and it's everybody's responsibility.
  Each year children witness domestic violence and this experience can 
have a lasting impact on their lives. In order to break the 
intergenerational cycle, children need services and interventions to 
address their experiences and prevent future violence. Between 3.3 and 
10 million children witness domestic violence every year.
  The National Census of Domestic Violence Services (NCDVS) revealed 
that over 18,000 children in the United States received services and 
support from 1,243 local domestic violence programs during a 24-hour 
period in November 2006. During the survey day: 7,241 children found 
refuge in emergency shelter; 4,852 children were living in transitional 
housing programs designed specifically for domestic violence survivors; 
and 5,946 children received non-residential services, such as 
individual counseling, legal advocacy, and children's support groups.
  Nationwide, participating programs reported that 5,157 requests for 
services from adults and children went unmet. Boys who witness domestic 
violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children 
when they become adults.
  Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to exhibit 
cognitive and physical health problems like depression, anxiety, and 
violence toward peers. These children are also more likely to attempt 
suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage 
prostitution, and commit sexual assault crimes.
  Teens experience high rates of domestic and sexual violence and need 
specialized services that respond to this and prevent future violence. 
Domestic and sexual violence's prevalence in the youth population is a 
problem that deserves careful attention.
  One in 3 teens know a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, 
kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by dating partners. One-
fourth of high school girls have been the victims of physical abuse, 
sexual abuse or date rape. Girls and young women between the ages of 16 
and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence.
  Not surprisingly, this violence can have a traumatic effect on the 
lives of these young people that can last well into adulthood.
  Victims of teen dating violence are more likely to: use alcohol, 
tobacco, and cocaine; drive after drinking; engage in unhealthy weight 
control behaviors; commit sexually risky behaviors; and become 
pregnant. Over 50 percent of youth reporting dating violence and rape 
also reported attempting suicide. Girls who are raped are about 3 times 
more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders and over 4 times more 
likely to suffer from drug and alcohol abuse in adulthood.
  American Indian and Alaska Native women are battered, raped and 
stalked at far greater rates than any other group of women in the 
United States.
  The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that: 1 of 3 Native women 
will be raped; 6 of 10 will be physically assaulted; and Native women 
are stalked at a rate at least twice that of any other population. 
Seventy percent of American Indians who are the victims of violent 
crimes are victimized by someone of a different race.
  This bill raises awareness of domestic violence. It is essential to 
keep this issue in the eye of the public so that victims know that they 
have options and a way out. I am proud to support this bill today.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from 
Minnesota have any more speakers?
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any more speakers. 
I would just like to urge my colleagues to support this legislation, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my 
colleagues to support this important resolution by educating people 
about domestic violence so that we may be able to prevent it from 
happening.
  Again, domestic violence is like a domino effect. Once it happens in 
the family, it continues through generation through generation.
  The last speaker mentioned about the community getting involved, 
people getting involved. We have to stop this because it's a terrible, 
terrible action against people.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, in 1987, 20 years ago, Congress first 
recognized October as National Domestic Violence Awareness month. 
Because of Congress's actions, local community groups, religious 
organizations, healthcare providers, corporations, and the media are 
addressing domestic violence in our communities. This October, 
thousands of victim advocacy organizations, state coalitions, and 
community groups will hold events to raise awareness to the violence 
that annually affects millions of men, women, and children in the 
United States. If we can raise awareness and teach the youth healthy 
relationship skills and intervene in youth violence, we can reduce 
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in our schools and 
communities. As the founder of the Victims' Rights Caucus, and sponsor 
of H. Res. 590, I hope to give a voice to domestic violence victims. 
Raising awareness of domestic violence provides victims with help and a 
safe haven, while holding abusers accountable. And that's just the way 
it is.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 590, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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