[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 135 (Friday, September 19, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1491-E1492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          VAWA; HISTORIC LAW CONTINUES TO HELP WOMEN AND GIRLS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 18, 2014

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, this week we mark the 20th 
anniversary of enactment of the Violence Against Women Act, which was 
signed on September 20, 1994. I supported and continue to strongly 
support this law. I voted to create the programs in 1994 and helped 
ensure enactment of the first reauthorization in 2000 by attaching it 
to my anti-trafficking law--the Victims of Trafficking and Violence 
Prevention Act (PL 106-386/TVPA). I also cosponsored the 2005 
reauthorization, fought to ensure these programs are fully funded to 
assist the maximum number of victims and voted for seven of the first 
seven VAWA reauthorization bills offered through 2012.
  All of these efforts have helped draw national attention to the 
epidemic of domestic violence and invested significant resources to 
prevent domestic violence, assist the women and children who fall 
victim to it, and improve our justice system's response.
  Millions of victims have been helped by VAWA, but more remains to be 
done.
  The release of a video last week of then-Baltimore Ravens runningback 
Ray Rice assaulting his now wife in an elevator in Atlantic City 
horrified us all. I, like most Americans, was shocked and disgusted by 
the unacceptable brutality and violence captured on the video. But 
regrettably, the violence exposed does not represent a rare, isolated 
incident but rather an exploitation that remains all too prevalent in 
our modern day society.
  VAWA is one component of a solution, but we must work harder and have 
a more robust national conversation on the culture of violence in 
America and how we can better protect vulnerable women and children.
  Of course, acts of violence against women and children are not a 
uniquely American problem. Around the world, women and children are 
abused and assaulted, and in many places, unable to receive any form of 
assistance or hold perpetrators to account. In conflict zones rape is 
used as a weapon of war and intimidation. Modern day slavery continues 
as traffickers sell women as commodities. Gendercide, where babies are 
aborted based exclusively on their sex, is common-place in many 
cultures, particularly in China.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, we can, and must, do better.
  In 2000, when VAWA was up for renewal and there was a concern that it 
may not pass, I helped secure its enactment by attaching the 
reauthorization bill in it entirety to my landmark TVPA. The TVPA was a 
significant breakthrough--for the first time we put significant U.S. 
resources and the real force of law towards the prosecution of those 
who sexually exploit and traffic women and children and significant 
resources towards shelters and treatment for women abused both here in 
the U.S. and around the world. Simultaneously we reauthorized the VAWA 
programs; enacted ``Aimee's Law'' under which any state that 
prematurely releases violent criminals will be forced to reimburse 
another state if the criminal repeats the crime; and expanded the scope 
of Megan's Law so that it covered college campuses.
  The version of VAWA that was signed into law last year reauthorized 
some of these antihuman trafficking programs but unfortunately gutted 
the State Department's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Office. As I stated 
at the time, these provisions: ``represents a significant retreat in 
the struggle to end human trafficking.''

[[Page E1492]]

  The TIP Office is an extraordinary advocacy mechanism and has had a 
huge impact worldwide. In addition to `best practices' advocacy, the 
office monitors labor and sex trafficking in every country of the world 
pursuant to minimum standards prescribed in the TVPA and makes 
recommendations for whether or not countries should be ranked Tier I, 
Tier II Watch List or Tier III. Countries with bad records and who fail 
to make `serious and sustained' efforts to improve are designated Tier 
3--the worst ranking--which may result in sanctions.
  For over a decade the TIP Office has been the flagship in our 
struggle to combat the violence of human trafficking, and demoting our 
anti-trafficking efforts, as PL 113-4 did, was wrong and must be 
addressed. On behalf of the women and children who fall victim to the 
soulless traffickers every year, we need to ensure these efforts remain 
a top priority.
  Accordingly, I authored, and the House passed the Human Trafficking 
Prioritization Act (H.R. 2283) to raise the profile and influence of 
the TIP Office by making it a bureau within the State Department. My 
bill is pending in the Senate.
  Mr. Speaker, the House has also passed my first of its kind anti-sex 
tourism bill this year, my International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand 
for Sex Trafficking (H.R. 4573)--as part of a phenomenal package of 
legislation that builds on our efforts to end the exploitation of and 
violence against women and children.
  H.R. 4573 will combat child sex tourism by alerting countries of 
destination concerning the travel plans of convicted U.S. pedophiles. 
And to protect American children, the bill encourages the President to 
use bilateral agreements and assistance to establish reciprocal 
notification so that we will know when convicted child-sex offenders 
are planning to come to the U.S.
  The legislation is named for Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old from Hamilton, 
NJ, who was kidnapped, raped, and brutally murdered in 1994. Megan's 
assailant was a convicted, repeat sex offender living across the 
street, unbeknownst to residents in the neighborhood. Due to public 
outcry in response to the tragedy and to the hard work by Megan's 
loving parents, Richard and Maureen Kanka, the New Jersey State 
Legislature passed the original Megan's Law to require public 
notification of convicted sex offenders living in the community. Today, 
all 50 States and all the territories have a ``Megan's Law'', an 
important tool in preventing more children from becoming victims.
  My International Megan's Law takes the lessons we have learned on how 
to protect our children from known child sex predators within our 
borders and expands those protections globally.
  The Senate, thus far, has yet to act on these important bills--as 
well as the many other anti-trafficking measures we've passed.
  The Majority Leader has an opportunity right now to send a strong 
message. On the anniversary of VAWA and as we approach Domestic 
Violence Awareness month, I call on Majority Leader Reid to bring these 
bills to the floor.
  As the nation is focused on the NFL's response to the horrific abuse 
perpetrated by a few of its players, Harry Reid can set an example of 
how organizations can act, deliberately and aggressively, to end the 
culture of violence that harms women and children.

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