[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2305-S2308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, speaking of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 
as we begin to work now after the Easter/Passover recess, I wish to 
thank all Senators who have come to the floor in recent weeks to 
express their bipartisan support of the Violence Against Women 
Reauthorization Act and who have emphasized, and I agree, the need for 
the Senate to take up and reauthorize this landmark legislation.
  For almost 18 years, the Violence Against Women Act--called VAWA--has 
been the centerpiece of the Federal Government's commitment to 
combating domestic violence, dating violence, domestic assault, and 
stalking. The impact of this landmark law has been remarkable. It has 
provided lifesaving assistance to hundreds of thousands of men, women, 
and children, and the annual incidence of domestic violence has dropped 
by 50 percent since the act was passed.
  Support for the Violence Against Women Act has always been 
bipartisan, and I appreciate the bipartisan support this 
reauthorization bill has already received. Senator Crapo and I 
introduced the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 
November. With Senators Heller and Ayotte joining as cosponsors in 
March, we now have 61 cosponsors in the Senate from both sides of the 
aisle. I hope the Senate will take up and pass this bill soon.
  The Violence Against Women Act is about responding to domestic and 
sexual violence. Its programs are vitally important. Our legislation 
has looked at and learned from the experiences and needs of survivors 
of domestic and sexual violence from all around the country. We have 
also heard the recommendations of those tireless professionals who work 
every single day--I might say virtually every single night--to serve. 
It builds on the progress that has been made in reducing domestic and 
sexual violence and makes vital improvements to respond to unmet needs, 
as we have each time we have reauthorized the Violence Against Women 
Act.
  The provisions that a minority on the Judiciary Committee labeled 
controversial are, in fact, modest changes to meet the genuine, unmet 
needs that service providers have told us they see every day as they 
work with victims all over the country. This is what we have done on 
every single VAWA reauthorization. We have looked at what we have 
learned since the last one and then taken steps to recognize those 
needs of victims that are not being met and find ways to meet them. 
That is nothing new or different. It is what we have always done. 
Because we have improved it each time, it is one of the reasons 
domestic violence has dropped. This should not be a basis for a 
partisan division or delay.
  The legislation also improves important changes to respond to current 
economic realities. We all know while the economy is now improving, 
these remain difficult economic times, and we have to be responsible in 
how we spend the taxpayers' money. That is why in our bill we 
consolidate 13 programs into 4. We remove duplication and bureaucratic 
errors. It is another thing we do each time we reauthorize to make it 
better. It would cut the authorization level for VAWA by more than $135 
million a year. That is a decrease of nearly 20 percent from the last 
reauthorization.
  The legislation also includes significant accountability provisions, 
including audit requirements, enforcement mechanisms, and restrictions 
on grantees and costs. Again, we are saying we want to do the right 
thing in the Violence Against Women Act, but we also want to protect 
the taxpayers' dollars. That is why it is a bipartisan bill. It is a 
product of careful consideration, and that is why it has widespread 
support.
  There is no reason not to take it up and debate it and pass it. The 
Judiciary Committee passed this bill after considering a number of 
amendments, including a substitute offered by the minority. I have 
reached out to the distinguished ranking member, Senator Grassley, and 
asked about possible amendments and time agreements for consideration. 
We should do what we have always done ever since the first VAWA years 
ago and pass it with strong bipartisan support. These problems are too 
serious for us to delay.
  Any one of us who has served in law enforcement has gone to a scene 
where somebody has been severely battered, sometimes killed. I know 
when I have gone to the scenes I never heard a police officer say: Is 
this a Republican or a Democrat? They say, is this a victim? What do we 
do to help them? That is what this is. It is not a Republican or 
Democratic bill; it is a sensible bill to help the victims of violence.
  This is crucial, commonsense legislation. It has been endorsed by 
more than 700 State and national organizations, numerous religious and 
faith-based organizations, as well as our law enforcement partners. The 
last two times the Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized, it was 
unanimously approved by the Senate. It seems sometimes that partisan 
gridlock has become the default in the Senate in recent years. We are 
better than that. We should rise above gridlock. There is no reason we 
should delay considering this bill. It has the support of 61 cosponsors 
across the aisle. Let us pass it.
  As I have said before, domestic and sexual violence know no political 
party. Violence happens to too many people in this country. Its victims 
are Republicans and Democrats. They are rich and poor, young and old. 
They are male and female. They are straight and gay. Nobody falls into 
a category where they are immune to this kind of violence. So let us 
work together and

[[Page S2308]]

pass this strong VAWA reauthorization legislation and let us do it 
without delay. It is a law that has saved countless lives. For my 
fellow Senators, I would say this is an example of what we in the 
Senate can accomplish if we work together.