[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

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     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;

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       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.

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