[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 163 (Tuesday, October 2, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     REAUTHORIZING THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND SERVICES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. GWEN MOORE

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 28, 2018

  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the House's 
action last Friday to pass legislation (H.R. 6014) to reauthorize the 
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, FVPSA, a bill that was 
introduced with bipartisan support by Rep. Glenn Thompson, myself, and 
Reps. Elise Stefanik and Lisa Blunt Rochester. I am pleased that the 
House, on a bipartisan basis, was able to reach agreement and expedite 
passage of this key law. I again want to thank Rep. Thompson, Rep. 
Stefanik, and Rep. Blunt Rochester for joining with me and their hard 
work in getting us to this moment.
  FVPSA, originally enacted in 1984, is at the heart of our nation's 
response to domestic violence, ensuring that local domestic violence 
shelters and programs are able to keep their lights on and doors open 
to serve more than 1.3 million victims and their children every year.
  FVPSA funds nearly hundreds of community-based programs. These 
programs provide emergency shelter, counseling, legal assistance, 
crisis intervention, and domestic and dating violence prevention 
education. FVPSA also provides funding for tribal governments to 
deliver essential services to survivors and supports the National 
Domestic Violence Hotline, which is often the first call made by 
survivors. H.R. 6014 would simply extend the current programs at 
current funding levels through FY 2023.
  It's critical to remember that the most dangerous moment for women 
experiencing intimate partner violence is that point in time when they 
decide to do something about their situation, and that is the point in 
which there has just got to be a resource there. That is what the 
programs and funding through FVPSA helps to provide.
  Mr. Speaker, recent high-profile cases have brought a national focus 
on domestic violence, but such violence isn't limited to Hollywood. The 
#MeToo movement has given all survivors a renewed courage to come 
forward for help. I cannot underscore enough that it is critical that 
Congress act to ensure that the resources and supports are in place to 
help them when they do. Passing FVPSA is a good step forward.
  In that vein, I hope my colleagues will take the next step and bring 
VAWA reauthorization legislation (H.R. 6545), introduced by Rep. Sheila 
Jackson Lee and myself and over 170 of our colleagues, that would 
strengthen and improve those critical programs, to the floor as quickly 
as possible. No more needless delay.
  I applaud colleagues on both sides for their work to help move this 
commonsense and noncontroversial bill out of the House last Friday. 
While we can't end every single act of violence, we must help create 
the space and the opportunity for these victims to be able to come 
forward and to leave these situations.
  I hope that the Senate will act expeditiously to send this bill to 
the President's desk for signature into law.

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