[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 168 (Friday, November 4, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2014-E2015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        KATE PUZEY PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER PROTECTION ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 1, 2011

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, on the evening of March 11, 2011, 
hundreds of people gathered on the West Lawn of the United States 
Capitol Building for a candlelight vigil honoring the memory of Peace 
Corps Volunteer Kate Puzey.
  Two years earlier on that date, Kate was murdered while serving in 
Benin after she accused a local teacher of sexually abusing his 
students. Believing that Kate's experience could be used to prevent 
similar tragedies, her family and friends created ``Kate's Voice 
Advocacy Group'' and began a nationwide campaign to urge reforms.
  Collaborating with First Response Action, a group representing Peace 
Corps Volunteers who were sexually or otherwise assaulted, ``Kate's 
Voice'' met with lawmakers and tirelessly advocated policies designed 
to support and protect all Peace Corps Volunteers, at home or in the 
field.

[[Page E2015]]

  Tonight the House will consider S. 1280, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps 
Volunteer Protection Act of 2011, which will enhance existing 
procedures for victims of physical and sexual assault in the Peace 
Corps and establish clear protocols for handling and reporting 
confidential information within the agency.
  Specifically, this legislation requires the Peace Corps to provide 
enhanced sexual assault risk reduction and response training to all 
volunteers and integrate that knowledge with safety and security 
protocols at every Peace Corps post. Volunteers in training will 
receive an in-depth analysis of the particular risks they face in a 
given country and be provided with clear, written guidelines regarding 
whom to contact and what steps to take in the event of a sexual 
assault.
  S. 1280 creates an anonymous hotline for reporting sexual assaults 
and sets up response teams that will be deployed the moment an incident 
is reported. A certified victim's advocate who answers to the Director 
of the Peace Corps will be required on staff to oversee the initiative 
and manage data collection for further studies analyzing safety and 
security trends.
  Mr. Speaker, the Peace Corps has sent over 200,000 Americans to live 
and work in 139 developing countries since it was established by an 
executive order from President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961. Now in 
its 50th year, the agency continues to fill the gaps left behind by 
conflict, strife, and environmental degradation around the globe. For 2 
years they develop partnerships, gain valuable knowledge, and help 
their communities meet local development goals. In the process, they 
build lifelong bonds and gain a greater understanding of America's 
place in the world.
  The world in which Peace Corps Volunteers work is the real world, Mr. 
Speaker. It can be dangerous and uncertain. Therefore, issues of health 
and safety are of critical concern, especially during those first few 
months it takes a volunteer to adjust to the realities of his or her 
new life.
  The provisions of this legislation were developed with extensive 
input from affected individuals and their families, victims' rights 
groups, Peace Corps senior staff, and the Returned Peace Corps 
Volunteer (RPCV) community. Kate's memory, embodied in her family, 
friends, and supporters, moved the process forward.
  Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams testified on May 11, 2011 at a 
hearing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and affirmed that 
he is committed to meeting the goals espoused by Kate's Voice and First 
Response Action.
  ``The Peace Corps has not always been sufficiently responsive or 
sensitive to victims of crime and their families,'' he admitted. He 
went on to offer a public apology and described how such attitudes are 
changing on his watch.
  Indeed, much of the substance of S. 1280 is already being implemented 
within the agency. Director Williams created the Victim's Advocate 
position and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rape, Abuse 
and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation's largest anti-sexual 
violence organization, to collaborate and share resources on sexual 
assault prevention and response.
  Mr. Speaker, based on the Peace Corps receptivity to these reforms 
and the bipartisan nature of this legislation, I am confident that S. 
1280 is an enlightened response to the pressing concerns of Peace Corps 
Volunteers and their families.
  As a committed friend of the Peace Corps and its mission, I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation and provide the resources 
necessary to implement it without threatening the operational capacity 
of the agency.
  The remarkable collaboration that conceived the Kate Puzey Act was an 
unparalleled labor of love. It was an earnest push to strengthen the 
program and prepare it for the future. It was not meant to hurt or 
punish the agency.
  One of the witnesses at the May 11th hearing put it bluntly: ``I 
would be devastated if my testimony were used to stop Peace Corps 
funding, cut funding, or eliminate the Peace Corps.''
  I strongly encourage my colleagues to keep that thought in mind as we 
consider this bipartisan legislation, which is the legacy of many 
extraordinary Americans, some of whom never returned from their 
missions abroad.
  To honor the memories of fallen Volunteers, respect the survivors who 
courageously shared their stories, and encourage the next generation 
which recognizes the power of service, I will vote for this legislation 
in its current form, and I urge my colleagues to do likewise.

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