[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 3, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H890-H893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      NATIONAL TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION WEEK

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 103) supporting the goals and ideals 
of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 103

       Whereas communities across the country carry out activities 
     to raise awareness about teen dating violence during the week 
     of February 2 through February 6, 2009;
       Whereas 1 in 11 adolescents reports being a victim of 
     physical dating violence;
       Whereas 1 in 5 teenagers in a serious relationship reports 
     having been hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner;
       Whereas 1 in 3 female teenagers in a dating relationship 
     has feared for her physical safety;
       Whereas more than 1 in 4 teenagers have been in a 
     relationship where a partner is verbally abusive;
       Whereas 27 percent of teenagers have been in dating 
     relationships in which their partners called them names or 
     put them down;
       Whereas 40 percent of the youngest teens, those between the 
     ages of 11 and 12, report that they have friends who are 
     victims of verbal abuse in dating relationships;
       Whereas 1 in 5 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 14 say 
     they have friends who are victims of dating violence;
       Whereas 1 in 2 teenagers in a serious relationship has 
     compromised personal beliefs to please a partner;
       Whereas 29 percent of girls who have been in a relationship 
     said that they have been pressured to have sex or to engage 
     in sexual activities that they did not want;
       Whereas technologies such as cell phones and the Internet 
     have made dating abuse more pervasive and more hidden;
       Whereas 30 percent of teenagers who have been in a dating 
     relationship say that they have been text-messaged between 10 
     and 30 times per hour by a partner seeking to find out where 
     they are, what they are doing, or who they are with;
       Whereas 72 percent of teenagers who reported that they had 
     been checked up on by a boyfriend or girlfriend 10 times per 
     hour or more by email or text messaging did not tell their 
     parents;
       Whereas parents are largely unaware of the cell phone and 
     Internet harassment experienced by teenagers;
       Whereas nearly 3 in 4 teens say that dating relationships 
     usually begin at age 14 or younger;
       Whereas 69 percent of all teenagers who had sex by age 14 
     said they have experienced 1 or more types of abuse in a 
     dating relationship;
       Whereas violent relationships in adolescence can have 
     serious ramifications for victims, putting them at higher 
     risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual 
     behavior, suicide, and revictimization as adults;
       Whereas the severity of violence among intimate partners 
     has been shown to be greater in cases where the pattern of 
     violence has been established in adolescence; and
       Whereas National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 
     Prevention Week benefits schools, communities, families, and 
     individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or 
     sex: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Teen Dating 
     Violence Awareness and Prevention Week to raise awareness of 
     teen dating violence in the Nation;
       (2) encourages the people of the United States, State and 
     local officials, middle schools and high schools, law 
     enforcement agencies, and other interested groups to observe 
     National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week 
     with appropriate programs and activities that promote 
     awareness that teen dating violence is a crime and to 
     encourage efforts to prevent and deter it; and
       (3) supports a reexamination of the Nation's criminal and 
     civil laws regarding teen dating violence to ensure that such 
     laws create an effective deterrent.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection?
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, House Resolution 103 designates this week, February 2 
through February 6, as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 
Prevention Week. It is designed to bring public attention to the 
problem of teen dating violence, and the need for more effective 
prevention and deterrence.
  According to the recent report by the National Council on Crime and 
Delinquency, approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United 
States becomes a victim of emotional, verbal, or physical abuse from a 
dating partner. This alarming statistic far exceeds rates at which 
other types of violence are affecting youth in this country.
  The study also find that girls exposed to dating violence are more 
likely to be subjected to other forms of violence. These victims are 
also more likely to engage in unsafe sexual activity, to have a higher 
incidence of substance abuse, and to have thought about or attempted 
suicide, than boys or girls that have not been abused.
  The study revealed that most victims of dating violence are subject 
to multiple acts of violence and aggressive behavior, which increases 
in frequency and intensity. For example, 63 percent of young people who 
reported having been slapped, hit, or kicked by their partner indicated 
that the abuse occurred on two or more occasions.
  Teenage girls are more likely than adult women to be victims of 
dating violence, and are more likely to be injured as a result of that 
violence.
  With deaths and injuries resulting from teen dating violence on the 
increase, we must recognize this type of behavior as a crime as well as 
a serious public health concern. We must ensure that our young people 
are made aware of the seriousness of these offenses. And ensure that 
our laws provide an effective deterrent.
  Today's resolution should encourage families and communities around 
the country to educate their young people about this problem, and to 
seek their help in preventing it. I'd like to commend the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for his leadership in introducing this 
resolution. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the 
resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. I rise in support of this resolution, which supports the goals 
and ideals of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention 
Week. I want to commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for 
sponsoring this legislation.
  This nationwide effort seeks to increase public awareness and educate 
citizens about the prevalence of dating violence. The Teen Dating 
Violence Awareness and Prevention Initiative was spearheaded by 
teenagers across the Nation who chose to take a stand and put a stop to 
teen dating violence. The Initiative began in 2004, and is now 
supported by over 50 national, State, and local organizations.
  The call to end teen dating violence was formally recognized by the 
House in 2006. Including today, this body has three times designated 
the first week in February ``National Teen Dating Violence Awareness 
and Prevention Week'' in an effort to bring more public awareness to a 
problem confronting today's teens.
  Last year, an organization called Teen Research Unlimited surveyed 
parents, teens, and tweens--tween is someone between 11 and 14, Madam 
Speaker--about dating violence. The results of this poll demonstrated 
the depth of the problem of teen dating violence.
  According to the poll, one in five teens who have been in a serious 
relationship report being struck in anger--either kicked, hit, slapped 
or punched--by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Further, one in three girls 
who have been in serious relationships say they have been concerned 
about being physically hurt by the individual that they are concerned 
about.

[[Page H891]]

  However, dating violence among children is not limited to physical, 
emotional, and sexual assault. It can also take on the form of 
harassment via computer or cell phone text messaging or e-mail. In 
fact, 40 percent of the tweens who have dated now know friends who have 
been called names, put down, or insulted via cell phones or social 
networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
  National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week provides 
an opportunity for parents to engage their children about dating 
violence and abusive relationships. The Teen Research Unlimited poll 
indicates that parents often do not know that their children are in 
relationships, let alone abusive relationships.
  More than three times as many tweens--20 percent--as parents--six 
percent--admit that parents know little or nothing about the dating 
relationships of those tweens.
  I encourage parents to use this week to talk with their children 
about dating and violence. To start the dialog, parents or teens can 
call the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 866-331-9474. The 
Helpline promotes awareness of healthy dating relationships by making 
vital resources available to help teens experiencing dating violence 
and abusive relationships.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this House resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the sponsor of the resolution, the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Scott 
for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution 
that I introduced that supports National Teen Dating Violence Awareness 
and Prevention Week.
  Let me begin by thanking Chairman Conyers and Chairman Scott and all 
of the staff who worked so hard to bring this resolution to the floor. 
Youth dating violence is a trend that is spreading across our country. 
It does not discriminate based on race, sex, class, or sexual 
orientation.

                              {time}  1530

  In 2005 many of my colleagues and I mourned the loss of April Love. 
She was an outstanding Congressional Black Caucus Foundation summer 
intern from Arkansas who was killed by her boyfriend. April was really 
a shining star, a southern belle, with a heart of gold and a brain to 
match.
  In the past few years, metro Atlanta witnessed similar, terrible 
incidents of youth dating violence. In separate cases, two teenage 
girls were shot and killed by their abusive boyfriends.
  Some relationships that begin innocently enough soon spiral out of 
control, and no one has any idea how they missed the signs. And 
technology has made it easier for abusive relationships to go 
undetected by parents and loved ones.
  We must bring attention to this unbelievable series of incidents that 
are spreading around our country. Fear, stalking, violence, and abuse 
are unacceptable and always shocking.
  Madam Speaker, we must break this chain and educate young people 
about the importance of developing healthy relationships.
  During this week, I urge all of my colleagues to educate themselves 
and all of their citizens about this important issue.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for 
yielding me this time.
  Our country is facing tough economic times. When you look across the 
country, you see families tightening their belts. You see States 
cutting back to balance their budgets. Washington seems to be the only 
place that is going on a wild spending spree during these tough 
economic times. We need to help our families and our businesses and our 
entrepreneurs by providing tax relief to create good jobs, rather than 
saddling our children and grandchildren with hundreds of billions of 
dollars in additional national debt.
  As we debate the importance of stimulating our economy, it is 
critical that we act responsibly and that we get it right this time.
  The Democratic leadership's massive spending bill does not do enough 
to help middle-class families and small businesses. A Congressional 
Budget Office report just came out saying that more than half of the 
Democrats' proposed spending bill will not even begin until after 2010. 
This defeats the purpose of stimulus.
  I have joined with other Members of Congress to propose an 
alternative plan called the Economic Recovery and Middle Class Tax 
Relief Act of 2009. H.R. 470 focuses on cutting taxes to create jobs 
quickly and get our Nation's economy back on track. Rather than adding 
hundreds of billions of dollars in new national debt, our alternative 
plan will create jobs by cutting taxes for middle class families and 
small businesses, while also protecting future generations by reining 
in out-of-control spending here in Washington, D.C.
  When President Barack Obama called for a bill to stimulate our 
Nation's economy, I don't think he or the American people expected it 
to be hijacked by the liberals in Congress and turned into a big 
government spending bill.
  Last week there were a dozen Democrats who joined in a bipartisan 
vote against this massive spending bill. In fact, just yesterday the 
Speaker of the House's spokesperson said of those voting against the 
spending bill, ``Many of the districts are more conservative and they 
campaigned on fiscal responsibility, and we understand that.''
  What the Speaker of the House was saying is she is recognizing that 
people who voted against the bill last week were voting for fiscal 
responsibility. The American people are learning more about this bill 
every day, and they are starting to recognize that it is nothing more 
than a wild spending bill of failed, old, big government programs.
  We need to set a different path. We need to get it right this time. 
We need to pass a bill that actually cuts taxes and gets our economy 
back on track.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I would like to thank my colleague for 
yielding. I have been sitting here and I have been listening to the 
people on the other side. It is unbelievable; it is unreal. Our country 
is in trouble; deep trouble. The economy is in a ditch.
  This President has offered a plan, a plan that he believes and 85 
percent of the American people believe that it will work. Have you been 
reading the newspapers, watching television, or seeing the polls?
  It is time for us to wake up and do what is right, do what is fair.
  When President Clinton left the White House, he left a surplus. He 
put more than 22 million people to work. Under the last administration, 
you left a debt. Hundreds and thousands of millions of citizens have 
lost their jobs, and now you are standing here today whining.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz).
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, while I rise in support of the goals and 
ideals of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, 
I have to say that I have been reading the polls and I have been 
listening to the people who have called in. And they have come in from 
across the Nation. They do not believe because they know that this 
stimulus package that is moving forward will not grow jobs.
  We want to spend $100 million to reduce the hazards of lead-based 
paint. It is time we do get serious about what is going on in this 
country. More government spending, deficit spending, is not the way to 
our future. It is absolutely not the way to our future. We are running 
this government on a credit card, and it is wrong.
  The people can't live their lives on a credit card, and those who do 
are in trouble. It is a sinking, deep-seated feeling. And those of us 
here representing our States, we all care passionately about this 
country. Nobody has a monopoly on pride. Nobody has a monopoly on 
patriotism. We all want to do what is best for our country.
  But I am also here to say that all of this spending is not the way we 
are going to solve our problems. When government comes in and picks 
winners and losers, there are too many people who lose.
  I am a freshman here. I am first to tell you the Republicans who had 
the

[[Page H892]]

House, the Senate and the Presidency, they blew it. But we also have to 
come to grips that it is this House of Representatives that over the 
last 2 years has controlled the United States Congress. They are the 
ones who have spent the money. They are the ones who have control. And 
there is plenty of blame to go around. The question is how are we going 
to move forward?
  When you look down this laundry list, $110 million to the Farm 
Service Agency to upgrade computer systems, everybody knows that is not 
going to get somebody a job.
  We need a game changer in this country. Putting more money onto our 
credit cards is not the way we are going to solve our problems.
  This laundry list of things that passed this body and that the Senate 
is contemplating, $200 million for public computer centers at a 
community college is not going to grow our economy; $10 million to 
inspect canals in urban areas, probably a worthy project, but we have a 
$3.1 trillion budget.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield the gentleman an additional minute.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. There is $13 million for research related to volunteer 
service. We need a game changer in this country. We need to look at tax 
policy, and we need to look at those things that are actually going to 
grow this economy.
  We have a $3.1 trillion budget in this country. We have offered 
stimulus packages. We have offered bailouts. Maybe the way to grow our 
economy is not to try to spend every dollar that comes before this 
body. It is the American people's money. It is not our money.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Culberson).
  Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, it has been my privilege to serve 
alongside the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) who I admire. The man 
is a legend and a great leader in the civil rights movement. He is a 
thoughtful man with a good heart and sincere principles. These are 
sincere, earnest differences of principle here, Mr. Lewis. We have deep 
concern for the future course of the Nation, the financial solvency of 
the country. And it is a source of real concern to us. Teen violence is 
a source of concern, but I have to tell you, the reason we are speaking 
out here today is we have had so little opportunity to speak out in 
committee. There has been so little debate in committee and on this 
floor of this massive spending bill, not enough time to educate the 
American public about the details of the bill because it was dropped on 
us with so little notice, written largely in secret, dropped into the 
Appropriations Committee and the Ways and Means Committee without much 
notice to the public, without an opportunity for them to scrutinize it.
  We are spending $1.3 trillion in 17 legislative days when the annual 
discretionary budget of the United States is about $900 billion, 
prepared very thoughtfully and carefully over many months by the 
Appropriations Committee with hundreds of hearings and witnesses and 
thoughtful deliberation. All of us want to see this economy get back on 
track and get us out of the ditch, but it is just self-evident that in 
17 legislative days, with a few hours of committee hearing, a few hours 
of floor debate, for this liberal majority in Congress to spend $1.3 
trillion, and then the very best we have heard is you guys hope it is 
going to work, it is not enough.
  As the gentleman from Utah said quite eloquently, we are living on a 
national credit card. This is like we are paying the mortgage with a 
MasterCard. I think it was Winston Churchill who said for a nation to 
attempt to tax and spend its way into prosperity is like a man standing 
in a bucket attempting to lift himself up. This is not the way for this 
Nation to get the economy moving again.
  We as a fiscally conservative minority have come together to stand 
behind a package of tax cuts that would immediately allow people to 
spend and invest their own money, to save or to spend it, to create 
jobs as they wish. We as a fiscally conservative minority have few 
opportunities in the House to speak directly to the American people, so 
this opportunity we have here today to talk about teen violence and to 
think about the safety and security of future generations is one of the 
few opportunities we have, Mr. Lewis, to lay out in all sincerity a 
very earnest and heartfelt, principle-based difference of opinion with 
the liberal majority, that we want to see this Nation succeed and be 
prosperous. And we know in our hearts, common sense tells us, that the 
way to prosperity is not through more spending based on debt. The way 
back to prosperity is by cutting profligate spending and cutting taxes 
so the American people have more of their own money to invest and save 
and to create jobs for the future.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Olson).
  Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend.
  I was just home. I am proud to tell the body I was just home in my 
home State this past weekend. After that and after our vote last week, 
it is clear to me that the American people and the people in the 22nd 
District of Texas get it. Quite simply, they realize we cannot spend 
our way out of the current predicament. It is not fair to future 
generations.
  God has blessed me. I have a beautiful 12-year-old daughter and an 
outstanding 8-year-old son. I ran for Congress because we cannot 
continue to spend like we see up here in Washington, D.C. We cannot put 
that burden on that generation. If we don't take courageous steps here 
now, this year, that generation, my son's generation, my grandson's 
generation, if God blesses me with grandchildren, they are going to be 
the first generation in American history that are going to be 
collectively less well off than the preceding ones; and that is wrong.
  We Republicans have a plan, a plan that will bolster our economy. It 
will offer jobs, get jobs created quickly by tax cuts, tax cuts to 
families, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. That works. It is 
proven.
  We had bipartisan opposition here on the floor of the House last 
week. The American people get it. The people in the 22nd District of 
Texas get it. We cannot continue to mortgage our children's future.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Louisiana (Mr. Fleming).
  Mr. FLEMING. Madam Speaker, I am very concerned today about teen 
violence. There is a lot we need to do about teen violence. But in 
dealing with the stimulus bill, I see that we are spending our money 
every place but teen violence. The stimulus bill passed by the House 
last week and now pending in the Senate is nothing more than a Trojan 
horse. It has all of the labels that make it sound effective, but when 
we look into the details, we see a myriad of new social programs and 
entitlements, busting our budget for many years to come.
  Economists uniformly insist that a stimulus package must be quick and 
create jobs. The version that just passed does neither. They have shown 
us that cutting tax rates for individuals and small businesses is the 
best way to accomplish this.
  Madam Speaker, I support the Republican alternative that would 
immediately boost our economy by cutting taxes for those who actually 
pay them. This plan would create 6 million jobs over the next 2 years. 
That is twice the jobs at half the cost. This plan saves future 
generations from a crushing debt burden, and shows that Congress can 
act in a fiscally responsible way. I realize that the stimulus package 
is currently in the Senate, but if it comes back, I really think that 
we need to make a very complete reconstruction of the stimulus bill. I 
ask that we make this Trojan horse a dead horse, and that we pass 
commonsense legislation to get this economy back on a sound footing.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, we have no other speakers on this 
bill. I urge its adoption. Once again, I want to thank Mr. Lewis from 
Georgia for sponsoring this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, again we've been lectured on 
economic theories. And we agree that there is a significant difference 
between the two sides on economic theory. And we've been begged to 
adopt the economic theory proposed by those on the other side.

[[Page H893]]

  I would just want to inquire exactly what result they like as a 
result of their economic theories? We've heard about paying the 
mortgage with the credit card. Well, the result in the economic theory 
from that side was an elimination of a $5\1/2\ trillion surplus and the 
creation of a $3\1/2\ trillion deficit mostly created by borrowing from 
foreign governments. Exactly what part of that is good? What part of 
job creation is good? Tens of millions of jobs were created under the 
Democratic economic theories, worse job performance since the Great 
Depression was under the Republican theories. What is good about that? 
What is good about income over the last 8 years, median income that has 
actually gone down? It went up $7,000 a family during the 1990s. It 
went down over the last 8 years. What is good about that? What is good 
about the Dow Jones Industrial Average going down? It more than tripled 
from 1993 through 2000, more than tripled. It has actually gone down. 
Exactly what is good about that?
  We've been lectured over and over again about how great these 
theories are. Maybe they don't like jobs. Maybe they like a deficit. 
Maybe they like incomes going down or the Dow Jones Industrial Average 
going down. I would like to see the Dow Jones Industrial Average go up, 
income go up, surplus rather than deficits and jobs created. But we 
will let the people decide.
  In the meantime, we would like to thank the gentleman from Georgia 
for introducing the National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 
Prevention Week and hope that we will adopt the resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 103.
  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. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam 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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