[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 59 (Thursday, April 4, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 3, 2019

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1585) to 
     reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chair, today I will vote to reauthorize 
the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), historic landmark legislation 
with a proven track record of assisting abused and battered women. VAWA 
must be reauthorized.
  As a matter of fact, I was the prime author of the law that provided 
for the first reauthorization of the VAWA in 2000--a five-year $3.3 
billion comprehensive program that was part of my anti-trafficking law, 
the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act (PL 106-386/
TVPA).
  Today, I will vote to ensure that VAWA reauthorization overcomes 
expected difficulties in the Senate and moves to enactment. I will vote 
to reauthorize, through 2020, critical VAWA programs: legal assistance 
for victims; addressing housing needs for victims of domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault and stalking; grants to combat violent 
crimes on campuses; grants to encourage arrest policies and enforcement 
of protection orders; grants for enhanced training and services to end 
abuse later in life.
  I will also vote to extend: the critical STOP grants to educate and 
train law enforcement personnel to address sexual assault; the CHOOSE 
grants, i.e. Creating Hope Through Outreach, Options, Service, and 
Education for Children and Youth; training and services to end violence 
against people with disabilities; the sexual assault services program; 
rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and 
child abuse enforcement assistance; grants for strengthening the 
healthcare system's response to domestic violence, dating violence, 
sexual assault, and stalking; as well as extending other key programs.
  This is consistent with my long record of support for VAWA.
  I strongly supported passage of VAWA when it was first introduced in 
1993, and again in 1994, when this crucial legislation was signed into 
law. I have supported multiple reauthorizations of VAWA, and I continue 
to strongly support this law as it was originally intended.
  As I said earlier, I was the prime author of the law that provided 
for the first reauthorization of the VAWA in 2000 when I included the 
five-year $3.3 billion comprehensive program in my 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.
  Two versions of VAWA reauthorization are under consideration by the 
House today. As I noted, the version I will support extends the VAWA 
until 2020. The other--H.R. 1585--weakens several carefully crafted 
protections for women and girls.
  By granting biological men--who self-identify as women--access to 
women's shelters, H.R. 1585 removes the hard-fought gains to protect 
women and girls from abuse and to provide them with physical, emotional 
and psychological security.
  Under the current version of H.R. 1585, women will no longer have a 
secure place of their own as they flee from male-inflicted physical and 
emotional abuse and intimidation.
  Rather, these heroic women will now have to share their place of 
refuge, a shelter previously reserved for women seeking protection from 
male abusers, with biological men who self-identify as women.
  Mr. Chair, these brave women and children deserve a place where they 
can feel protected and secure, so they can begin the difficult process 
to heal as they deal with post-traumatic stress. Forcing them to share 
a shelter and its facilities, including showers and sleeping areas, 
with biological men who self-identify as women will cause these women 
and children to experience insecurity, discomfort, confusion, and fear 
of additional assault.
  VAWA has always prioritized the challenges and unique needs of 
battered women and children but this version, if passed, no longer 
will.
  These women's shelters--there are about 1,500 nationwide--offer a 
safe space where a woman does not have to fear or worry about violence 
and intimidation and instead allows her to take steps toward rebuilding 
her life.
  Mr. Chair, we must first and foremost protect victims of violence.
  I oppose this provision of H.R. 1585 out of genuine concern for the 
women and children who are forced to flee to domestic abuse shelters 
and base my concern on evidence from California.
  In late 2018, nine female victims residing in a women's shelter in 
Fresno, California--Naomi's House, operated by Poverello House--filed a 
lawsuit against the shelter for admitting a biological man because he 
had self-identified as a woman. These victims stated that they had been 
sexually harassed by this biological man. They said that he had made 
``sexual advances'' on them and would ``stare and leer'' and make 
``sexually harassing comments about their bodies'' while they were 
forced to undress in the same room with him.
  After repeatedly confronting the staff of Naomi's House--both 
verbally and in writing--with their extreme discomfort, these women 
were told that they would be expelled from the shelter if they refused 
to comply.
  Mr, Chair, if we allow biological men who self-identify as women to 
receive access to these women-only shelters, abused women and children 
will lose the `safe space' they so desperately need.
  These victims deserve better. They deserve our protection and 
support. We must work to ensure the safety of women, girls, and 
children.
  Other shelters designed to help victims of diverse sexual 
orientations and identities who are victims of domestic abuse ought to 
be considered by separate legislation.
  We can, and we must create bipartisan legislation which seeks to 
protect all women and girls, as this law originally intended.
  We can, and must, do better.

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