[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 71 (Thursday, May 17, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2012

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the 
Rule and urge a ``no'' vote on the flawed bill my Republican colleagues 
will bring to the floor. They had an opportunity to bring the 
bipartisan Senate Violence Against Women Act, but chose not to.
  The Violence Against Women Act has been bipartisan and 
noncontroversial for almost 20 years now. The update passed the Senate 
on a bipartisan basis just last month.
  Why does everything have to be a partisan fight? Over the past year, 
my Republican colleagues in the House have blocked an important jobs 
package, stalled the national transportation and infrastructure bill, 
dragged their feet on help for students and the impending increase in 
the student loan rate, and now they have turned what has been a 
bipartisan effort to protect the victims of domestic violence into a 
senseless political fight.
  Republicans would not even allow debate on any amendments so we could 
address its flaws.
  In fact, their legislation not only rolls back longstanding, 
bipartisan provisions, but it leaves out protections for our LGBT 
community, Native American women and immigrants.
  Unlike the bipartisan Senate version, the House Republican bill does 
not include a provision prohibiting any Violence Against Women Act 
funds from discriminating against anyone based on their sexual 
orientation.
  The House Republican bill also does not include language explicitly 
including the LGBT community in the ``STOP Grant program'' that 
provides funds to domestic violence service providers.
  Studies have shown that the LGBT victims face discrimination when 
accessing domestic violence services.
  We should be working towards stronger domestic violence protections 
for the LGBT community--not trying to exclude them from domestic 
violence protections, as the Republican bill would do.
  One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. 
Many of these domestic assaults go unreported by the victims for fear 
of retaliation by their abuser.
  Immigrant victims are oftentimes the most vulnerable to this cycle 
because their abusers use their immigration status as a tool to 
manipulate and control them.
  That is why in the 1994 Violence Against Women Act Congress included 
the ``self-petition'' provision to ensure that immigrant victims of 
domestic violence could leave their abuser without fear of losing legal 
status.
  The Republican bill would delay and deny that protection for many 
immigrant victims.
  In my home state of Florida there were 113,378 crimes of domestic 
violence reported in 2010.
  If the Republican bill were to pass, more domestic violence crimes 
would go unreported, more abusers would be free, and more victims would 
be harmed.
  More children, families, and women would be at risk of continued 
abuse by their abuser.
  This bill works in opposition to the very purpose of the 
legislation--to protect victims of domestic violence.
  Not just some victims--all victims.
  So advocates across the country who are on the front lines in aiding 
women and victims everyday have announced their opposition. Please 
defeat the rule, so that we can call up the bipartisan, improved 
version from the Senate.

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