[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 64 (Thursday, May 1, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2577-S2578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  JUSTICE FOR ALL REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, last year, the Senate came together to pass 
meaningful legislation that was supported by victims of violence, law 
enforcement, and those committed to working to end domestic and sexual 
abuse. That bill, the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women 
Reauthorization Act, had the support of all Senate Democrats and a 
majority of Senate Republicans. It cleared the Republican House 
overwhelmingly and it was signed into law 1 year ago. In a divided 
Congress, this historic reauthorization was made possible because so 
many victims and service providers stood together to push for a 
comprehensive bill.
  The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which I was proud to 
co-author with Senator Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, strengthens 
protections on campuses, where far too many students have become 
victims of devastating violence instead of enjoying the wonderful 
experience of learning and growth that we all wish for our children. 
Our bill, which was signed into law last year, ensures that college 
students are informed of the resources available to them if they are 
victims of sexual assault or stalking, and of their school's planned 
response to such crimes.
  For women like Laura Dunn, these provisions have real meaning. When 
many skeptics called for a watered-down VAWA bill to make it easier to 
pass, champions like Ms. Dunn, a courageous survivor of campus sexual 
assault, urged us to stand strong for all victims. More than 200 
survivors of campus violence at 176 colleges and universities joined 
her in an open letter to Congress calling for the passage of the Leahy-
Crapo VAWA bill. People like her made all the difference in our ability 
to ultimately pass this important legislation.
  One year after its enactment, I am heartened that the Obama 
administration has begun to implement the Leahy-Crapo VAWA bill and 
that it announced a series of steps that will help colleges and 
universities meet new requirements contained in the law. This includes 
stronger reporting requirements and better training for university 
officials, more coordination between campus police and local law 
enforcement, and the implementation of privacy policies to protect the 
identity of victims. I can remember the horrific scenes I witnessed 
when I was a prosecutor in Vermont. I can also remember that I never 
asked a victim about their nationality, immigration status, religion, 
sexual orientation, or political affiliation. As I have said countless 
times, a victim is a victim is a victim. Providing a victim with the 
services they need in a safe and private environment is common sense 
and I am glad the Obama administration is making the protections 
Senator Crapo and I fought for a reality for students across the 
country.
  We cannot stop there, however, and we should be doing even more to 
protect all victims of crime. That is why I urge my fellow Senators to 
support the Justice for All Reauthorization Act. This comprehensive and 
bipartisan legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary 
Committee in October. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act protects 
victims of crime by providing them with the resources they need and 
enhancing protections for crime victims. It also helps to prevent and 
overturn wrongful convictions, and provides law enforcement with the 
tools and resources necessary to ensure justice for all.
  The Justice for All Act reauthorizes the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog 
Reduction Act, which has provided significant funding to reduce the 
backlog of untested rape kits so that victims need not live in fear 
while rape kits languish in storage. It also strengthens the Kirk 
Bloodsworth Post Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program, one of the key 
programs created in the Innocence Protection Act.
  Kirk Bloodsworth was a young man just out of the Marines when he was 
sentenced to death for a heinous crime that he did not commit. He was 
the first death row inmate in the United States to be exonerated 
through the use of DNA evidence. There are certainly others out there 
like Kirk Bloodsworth now, wrongly convicted, waiting for the day when 
a DNA test will prove their innocence and set them free. We must never 
stop trying to improve our imperfect criminal justice system, to bring 
closure to cases swiftly but accurately, and to correct mistakes when 
they happen.
  The Justice for All Act reauthorizes funding for the Paul Coverdell 
Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program, which assists laboratories 
in performing the many forensic tests that are essential to solving 
crimes and prosecuting offenders.
  The Justice for All Reauthorization Act is a bipartisan bill that 
Senator Cornyn and I introduced nearly 1 year ago. All Senate Democrats 
support passage of this bill, and it is even cosponsored by the 
minority leader, Senator McConnell, but it has not passed the Senate 
because some Senate Republicans object. In the face of this 
obstruction, some would have us pick

[[Page S2578]]

apart pieces of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act, with the hope 
that we can do the other pieces later. To me, to law enforcement, and 
to countless victims of crime, this is not acceptable. Just last year, 
we showed the country it was possible to stand with all victims of 
domestic and sexual violence when we ignored the critics in the House 
who tried to divide us. When they told us we could only protect some 
victims, we refused to let them pit survivors of injustice against one 
another.
  By remaining unified in the face of such efforts, this divided 
Congress was able to pass a historic Violence Against Women 
Reauthorization Act that for the first time provided key protections 
for college students, tribal women, and members of the LGBT community. 
This year, we should again stand by all victims of crime and do what is 
right by passing a comprehensive Justice for All Reauthorization Act. 
We should not let the House of Representatives lessen our resolve to 
reauthorize public safety programs widely supported by crime victims 
and law enforcement.
  I remain steadfast in my resolve to get this done. I know every 
Senate Democrat shares this resolve, and I know that law enforcement, 
civil rights leaders, victims groups, and countless others feel the 
same way. I hope Senate Republicans will join us to pass meaningful 
legislation that supports all victims of crime and upholds our system 
of justice. We should stand united for all victims. I urge all 
senators, and particularly those in the Republican Caucus, to clear the 
Justice for All Act without further delay.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Iowa.

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