[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H3061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           IN SUPPORT OF VAWA

  (Ms. PRESSLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Violence 
Against Women Act, VAWA.
  I rise today to bring our stories out of the shadows. Let us reject 
the myth that strong women, bold women, independent women do not find 
themselves in the throes of violence at the hands of someone who claims 
to love them.
  My mother, my shero, found herself in such an abusive relationship, 
one that threatened her physical safety and her sanity, and chipped 
away at her dignity and her joy.
  As a child, to witness the abuse and degradation of the person who is 
your world, your everything, it is an image, a feeling, that never 
leaves.
  To the millions of women who find themselves in the shoes of my 
mother and to the countless daughters who find themselves looking on: I 
see you. I am fighting for you and all the Sandys out there.
  My mom, Sandy, depending on the day, was beaten for being too pretty, 
too ugly, too smart, too dumb. This man beat my mother's limbs and 
tried to beat down her spirit. His abuse was the deepest of betrayals.
  For the stories that we share here today, if they make people 
uncomfortable, good. Let that discomfort lead to transformation, 
transformation in our discourse, transformation in our lawmaking, and a 
renewed commitment to our shared humanity.
  No more.
  Mommy, this one is for you.

                          ____________________