[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 31, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S222-S224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the
following resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 360,
S. Res. 361, S. Res. 362, S. Res. 363, and S. Res. 364.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The
Senate will proceed to consider the resolutions en bloc.
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions
to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening
action or debate, and any related statements be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolutions were agreed to.
The preambles were agreed to.
The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:
S. Res. 360
(Raising awareness and encouraging prevention of stalking by
designating January 2012 as ``National Stalking Awareness Month'')
Whereas 1 in 6, or 19,200,000, women in the United States
have at some point during their lifetime experienced stalking
victimization, during which they felt very fearful or
believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed
or killed;
Whereas, during a 1-year period, an estimated 3,400,000
persons in the United States reported that they had been
victims of stalking, and 75 percent of those victims reported
that they had been stalked by someone they knew;
Whereas 11 percent of victims reported having been stalked
for more than 5 years, and 23 percent of victims reported
having been stalked almost every day;
Whereas 1 in 4 victims reported that stalkers had used
email, instant messaging, blogs, bulletin boards, Internet
sites, chat rooms, or other forms of electronic monitoring
against them, and 1 in 13 victims reported that stalkers had
used electronic devices to monitor them;
Whereas stalking victims are forced to take drastic
measures to protect themselves, including changing identity,
relocating, changing jobs, and obtaining protection orders;
Whereas 1 in 7 victims reported having relocated in an
effort to escape a stalker;
Whereas approximately 1 in 8 employed victims of stalking
missed work because they feared for their safety or were
taking steps to protect themselves, such as by seeking a
restraining order;
Whereas less than 50 percent of victims reported stalking
to police, and only 7 percent of victims contacted a victim
service provider, shelter, or hotline;
Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law and under the
laws of all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the
territories of the United States;
Whereas stalking affects victims of every race, age,
culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental
ability, and economic status;
Whereas national organizations, local victim service
organizations, campuses, prosecutor's offices, and police
departments stand ready to assist stalking victims and are
working diligently to develop effective and innovative
responses to stalking;
Whereas there is a need to improve the response of the
criminal justice system to stalking through more aggressive
investigation and prosecution;
Whereas there is a need for increased availability of
victim services across the United States, and such services
must include programs tailored to meet the needs of stalking
victims;
Whereas persons aged 18 to 24 experience the highest rates
of stalking victimization, and rates of stalking among
college students exceed the prevalence rates found in the
general population;
Whereas as many as 75 percent of women in college who
experience stalking-related behavior experience other forms
of victimization, including sexual or physical victimization,
or both;
Whereas there is a need for effective responses to stalking
on campuses; and
Whereas the Senate finds that ``National Stalking Awareness
Month'' provides an opportunity to educate the people of the
United States about stalking: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates January 2012 as ``National Stalking
Awareness Month'';
(2) applauds the efforts of the many stalking victim
service providers, police, prosecutors, national and
community organizations, campuses, and private sector
supporters to promote awareness of stalking;
(3) encourages policymakers, criminal justice officials,
victim service and human service agencies, college campuses
and universities, and nonprofit organizations to increase
awareness of stalking and the availability of services for
stalking victims; and
(4) urges national and community organizations, businesses
in the private sector, and the media to promote awareness of
the crime of stalking through ``National Stalking Awareness
Month''.
S. Res. 361
(Congratulating the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team
for winning the 2011 Bowl Championship Series National Championship)
Whereas the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football
team won the 2012 Allstate Bowl Championship Series (referred
to in this preamble as ``BCS'') National Championship Game,
defeating Louisiana State
[[Page S223]]
University by a score of 21-0 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome
in New Orleans on January 9, 2012;
Whereas this victory marks the second BCS title in the last
3 years and the 14th national championship in college
football for the University of Alabama;
Whereas the victory by the University of Alabama was the
first shutout in any BCS bowl game since the system was
created in 1998 and the first shutout in the championship
game since the 1992 Orange Bowl;
Whereas the 2012 BCS National Championship Game was the
59th postseason bowl appearance and the 33rd bowl victory for
the University of Alabama, both of which extend existing NCAA
records for the University of Alabama;
Whereas the victory by the University of Alabama marks the
sixth consecutive BCS national championship for the
Southeastern Conference and the third consecutive BCS
national championship for the State of Alabama;
Whereas the University of Alabama gained 384 yards of total
offense in the BCS National Championship Game, while holding
the offense of Louisiana State University to 5 first downs
and 92 total yards, the second lowest yards of total offense
in BCS history;
Whereas A.J. McCarron completed 23 of 34 passes for a total
of 234 yards without a turnover and was named offensive
player of the game;
Whereas senior linebacker Courtney Upshaw recorded 7
tackles, including 1 sack, and was named defensive player of
the game;
Whereas Trent Richardson, winner of the Doak Walker Award,
finished with 20 carries for 96 yards and 107 all-purpose
yards and scored the only touchdown of the game;
Whereas Jeremy Shelley successfully completed 5 field goal
attempts, setting a BCS National Championship Game record and
tying an NCAA bowl record;
Whereas in 2011, the defense of the University of Alabama
led the nation in rushing defense, passing defense, scoring
defense, and total defense;
Whereas 4 members of the Crimson Tide football team were
recognized as first-team All Americans by the Associated
Press;
Whereas the 2011 Crimson Tide senior class compiled a 48-6
record, tying a Southeastern Conference record for class
victories;
Whereas the leadership of head coach Nick Saban, whose
dedication and commitment to excellence instilled in his
players a sense of integrity, pride, sportsmanship, and
perseverance, inspired both his team throughout the season
and the Tuscaloosa community following the devastating losses
in the April tornadoes;
Whereas President Robert Witt and Athletic Director Mal
Moore have brought tremendous academic success and national
recognition to the University of Alabama athletic department
and the entire university; and
Whereas the players, coaches, and support staff of the
University of Alabama football team showed tremendous
determination throughout the season and brought great honor
to the University of Alabama and the State of Alabama: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends the University of Alabama for winning the 2011
Bowl Championship Series National Championship;
(2) recognizes the achievements of all the players,
coaches, and staff whose hard work, dedication, and
persistence helped the Crimson Tide win a national
championship; and
(3) requests the Secretary of the Senate to prepare an
official copy of this resolution for presentation to--
(A) the President of the University of Alabama, Dr. Robert
Witt;
(B) the Athletic Director of the University of Alabama, Mal
Moore; and
(C) the Head Coach of the University of Alabama Crimson
Tide football team, Nick Saban.
S. Res. 362
(Designating the month of February 2012 as ``National Teen Dating
Violence Awareness and Prevention Month'')
Whereas, although dating violence, domestic violence,
sexual violence, and stalking affect women regardless of age,
teenage girls and young women are especially vulnerable;
Whereas, according to the National Intimate Partner and
Sexual Violence survey recently conducted by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in this preamble
as the ``CDC''), the majority of victimization starts early
in life, as most victims of rape and intimate partner
violence first experience such violence before age 24;
Whereas, according to the Liz Claiborne Inc. 2009 Parent/
Teen Dating Violence Poll, approximately 1 in 3 adolescent
girls in the United States is a victim of physical,
emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a rate that
far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence
affecting young people;
Whereas, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
System (referred to in this preamble as the ``YRBSS'') of the
CDC, nearly 10 percent of high school students have been hit,
slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or
girlfriend during the past year;
Whereas, according to the American Journal of Public
Health, more than 1 in 4 teenagers have been in a
relationship where a partner is verbally abusive;
Whereas, according to a survey conducted by the YRBSS,
almost 20 percent of teenage girls who were exposed to
physical dating violence did not attend school on 1 or more
occasions during the 30 days preceding the survey because the
girls felt unsafe at school or on the way to or from school;
Whereas a violent relationship in adolescence can have
serious ramifications for the victim, putting the victim at
higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky
sexual behavior, suicide, and adult revictimization;
Whereas being physically or sexually abused makes teenage
girls--
(1) up to 6 times more likely to become pregnant; and
(2) more than twice as likely to contract a sexually
transmitted disease;
Whereas, according to a recent study published in the
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, more than
half of teenagers and young adults treated at an inner-city
emergency room reported having been a victim or perpetrator
of dating violence;
Whereas nearly 3 in 4 ``tweens'', individuals who are
between the ages of 11 and 14, report that dating
relationships usually begin at age 14 or younger, and
approximately 72 percent of students in eighth or ninth grade
report dating;
Whereas 1 in 5 tweens report having a friend who is a
victim of dating violence, and nearly half of tweens who are
in relationships know a friend who is verbally abused;
Whereas more than 3 times as many tweens (20 percent) as
parents of tweens (6 percent) admit that parents know little
or nothing about the dating relationships of tweens;
Whereas, according to the Liz Claiborne Inc. 2009 Parent/
Teen Dating Violence Poll, although 82 percent of parents are
confident that they could recognize the signs that their
child was experiencing dating abuse, a majority of parents,
or 58 percent, could not correctly identify all the warning
signs of dating abuse;
Whereas 74 percent of teenage boys and 66 percent of
teenage girls say they have not had a conversation with a
parent about dating abuse in the past year;
Whereas, according to a National Crime Prevention Council
survey, 43 percent of middle and high school students
reported experiencing cyberbullying during the past year;
Whereas 1 in 4 teens in a relationship report having been
called names, harassed, or put down by a partner through the
use of a cell phone, including through texting;
Whereas 3 in 10 young people have sexted, and 61 percent of
young people who have sexted report being pressured to do so
at least once;
Whereas, according to the Liz Claiborne Inc. 2010 College
Dating Violence and Abuse Poll, 43 percent of college women
who date report experiencing violent and abusive dating
behavior;
Whereas 70 percent of college students who experienced
relationship abuse failed to realize that they were in an
abusive relationship at the time, and 60 percent of college
students who were in an abusive relationship said that no one
stepped in to help them;
Whereas the severity of violence among intimate partners
has been shown to be greater in cases where a pattern of
violence was established during adolescence;
Whereas primary prevention programs are a key part of
addressing teen dating violence, and successful examples of
such programs include education, community outreach, and
social marketing campaigns that are culturally appropriate;
Whereas educating middle school students and the parents of
those students about the importance of building healthy
relationships and preventing teen dating violence is key to
deterring dating abuse before it begins;
Whereas skilled assessment and intervention programs are
also necessary for young victims and abusers; and
Whereas the establishment of National Teen Dating Violence
Awareness and Prevention Month will benefit schools,
communities, and families regardless of socioeconomic status,
race, or sex: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the month of February 2012 as ``National
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month'';
(2) supports communities that are empowering teenagers to
develop healthier relationships throughout their lives; and
(3) calls upon the people of the United States, including
young people, parents, schools, law enforcement officials,
State and local officials, and interested groups to observe
National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
with appropriate programs and activities that promote
awareness and prevention of teen dating violence in their
communities.
S. Res. 363
(Congratulating the Pittsburg State University Gorillas football team
for winning the 2011 NCAA Division II Football Championship)
Whereas the Pittsburg State University Gorillas football
team defeated the Wayne State University Warriors by a score
of 35 to 21 to win the 2011 NCAA Division II Football
Championship in Florence, Alabama on December 17, 2011;
Whereas Pittsburg State University has more all-time wins
than any other NCAA Division II football program and this
championship victory, the 4th in the history of the
university, continues a long tradition of success;
[[Page S224]]
Whereas the Pittsburg State University coaching staff, led
by second-year Head Coach Tim Beck, the 2011 Liberty Mutual
Coach of the Year Award winner for Division II, guided the
Gorillas to a final regular season record of 13 wins and 1
loss;
Whereas the Gorillas benefitted from strong leadership in
the championship game, including senior quarterback and
Pittsburg, Kansas native Zac Dickey, who passed for 190 yards
and rushed for 68 yards; and
Whereas the students, staff, alumni, and friends of
Pittsburg State University, along with the city of Pittsburg,
Kansas, deserve much credit for supporting the Gorillas
football team: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) congratulates the Pittsburg State University Gorillas
football team for winning the 2011 NCAA Division II Football
Championship; and
(2) recognizes the achievements of all the players,
coaches, and support staff of the Pittsburg State University
Gorillas football team.
S. Res. 364
(Recognizing the goals of National Catholic Schools Week and honoring
the valuable contributions of Catholic schools in the United States)
Whereas Catholic schools in the United States have received
international acclaim for academic excellence while providing
students with lessons that extend far beyond the classroom;
Whereas Catholic schools present a broad curriculum that
emphasizes the lifelong development of moral, intellectual,
physical, and social values in the young people of the United
States;
Whereas Catholic schools in the United States today educate
more than 2,000,000 students and maintain a student-to-
teacher ratio of 14 to 1;
Whereas the faculty members of Catholic schools teach a
highly diverse body of students;
Whereas the graduation rate for all Catholic school
students is 99 percent;
Whereas 97 percent of Catholic high school graduates go on
to college;
Whereas Catholic schools produce students strongly
dedicated to their faith, values, families, and communities
by providing an intellectually stimulating environment rich
in spiritual character and moral development; and
Whereas, in the 1972 pastoral message concerning Catholic
education, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
stated, ``Education is one of the most important ways by
which the Church fulfills its commitment to the dignity of
the person and building of community. Community is central to
education ministry, both as a necessary condition and an
ardently desired goal. The educational efforts of the Church,
therefore, must be directed to forming persons-in-community;
for the education of the individual Christian is important
not only to his solitary destiny, but also the destinies of
the many communities in which he lives.'': Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the goals of National Catholic Schools Week,
an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational
Association and the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops that recognizes the vital contributions of thousands
of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the United
States; and
(2) commends Catholic schools, students, parents, and
teachers across the United States for their ongoing
contributions to education, and for the vital role they play
in promoting and ensuring a brighter, stronger future for the
United States.
____________________