[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 158 (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10865-S10866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH 
                                  2009

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 327, which was 
submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 327) supporting the goals and ideals 
     of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2009 and 
     expressing the sense of the Senate that Congress should 
     continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the 
     United States and its devastating effects on families and 
     communities, and support programs designed to end domestic 
     violence.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and that any statements related to the resolution be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 327) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 327

       Whereas the President has designated October 2009 as 
     ``National Domestic Violence Awareness Month'';
       Whereas domestic violence affects people of all ages as 
     well as racial, ethnic, gender, economic, and religious 
     backgrounds;
       Whereas females are disproportionately victims of domestic 
     violence, and 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence 
     at some point in her life;
       Whereas on average, more than 3 women are murdered by their 
     husbands or boyfriends in the United States every day;
       Whereas in 2005, 1,181 women were murdered by an intimate 
     partner constituting 78 percent of all intimate partner 
     homicides that year;
       Whereas women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates, 
     per capita, of intimate partner violence;
       Whereas 1 out of 3 Native American women will be raped and 
     6 out of 10 will be physically assaulted in their lifetimes;
       Whereas the cost of intimate partner violence exceeds 
     $5,800,000,000 each year, $4,100,000 of which is for direct 
     medical and mental health care services;
       Whereas \1/4\ to \1/2\ of domestic violence victims report 
     that they have lost a job due, at least in part, to domestic 
     violence;
       Whereas the annual cost of lost productivity due to 
     domestic violence is estimated at $727,800,000 with over 
     7,900,000 paid workdays lost per year;
       Whereas some landlords deny housing to victims of domestic 
     violence who have protection orders or evict victims of 
     domestic violence for seeking help after a domestic violence 
     incident, such as by calling 911, 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 approximately 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse 
     women also abuse children;
       Whereas approximately 15,500,000 children are exposed to 
     domestic violence every year;
       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 one large study found that men exposed to physical 
     abuse, sexual abuse, and adult domestic violence as children 
     were almost 4 times more likely than other men to have 
     perpetrated domestic violence as adults;
       Whereas nearly 1,500,000 high school students nationwide 
     experienced physical abuse from a dating partner in a single 
     year;
       Whereas 13 percent of teenage girls who have been in a 
     relationship report being hit or hurt by their partners and 1 
     in 4 teenage girls has been in a relationship in which she 
     was pressured by her partner into performing sexual acts;
       Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 
     60 percent more likely to report one or more suicide attempts 
     in the past year;
       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 88 percent of men in a national poll reported that 
     they think that our society should do more to respect women 
     and girls;
       Whereas a recently released multi-State study shows 
     conclusively that the Nation's domestic violence shelters are 
     addressing

[[Page S10866]]

     victims' urgent and long-term needs and are helping victims 
     protect themselves and their children;
       Whereas a 2008 National Census Survey reported that 60,799 
     adults and children were served by domestic violence shelters 
     and programs around the Nation in a single day;
       Whereas those same understaffed programs were unable to 
     meet 8,927 requests for help that day;
       Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs 
     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 Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic 
     Violence Awareness Month 2009; and
       (2) expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should 
     continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the 
     United States and its devastating effects on families and 
     communities, and support programs designed to end domestic 
     violence.

                          ____________________