[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 131 (Thursday, August 1, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5289-S5290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            DEBBIE SMITH ACT

  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, over the last few months, I have spoken 
at length on the Senate floor about a bill I introduced earlier this 
year to reauthorize the Debbie Smith Act--legislation to help us end 
the nationwide rape kit backlog.
  This legislation carries the name of a fierce and courageous woman--a 
sexual

[[Page S5290]]

assault survivor whose advocacy was born of her personal experience.
  Three decades ago, Debbie Smith was taken from her home and taken to 
a wooded area where she was robbed and raped by an unknown attacker. 
She reported the crime to police and went to the emergency room for a 
forensic exam, but because of the rape kit backlog, she had to wait 
6\1/2\ years before finally receiving the call that her attacker had 
been identified through a DNA test.
  During that time, she lived in constant fear, wondering who he was, 
where he was, and whether he would return to hurt her again. 
Identifying offenders through DNA evidence is critical to providing not 
only justice but peace of mind for those assaulted and delivering 
justice to victims, and, yes, even exonerating the innocent. The power 
of DNA testing is such that it can essentially rule out people from 
being the alleged assailant or the actual assailant. So this is really 
important for a number of reasons.
  Sharing this information across State lines through the Federal 
system can help us identify repeat offenders who would otherwise go 
undetected. Knowing the potential impact, Debbie became one of our 
Nation's most vocal advocates for eliminating rape kit backlogs, 
including the reprehensible rape kit backlog I have been speaking 
about.
  In 2004, a bill that carries her name was signed into law to help 
local and State crime labs partner with Federal law enforcement to 
receive resources to end the Federal DNA evidence backlog. It is 
because of the Debbie Smith Act that more than a billion dollars has 
been provided to forensic labs across the country.
  Since 2005, more than 860,000 DNA cases have been processed, 
accounting for 43 percent of all forensic profiles in the FBI's DNA 
database.
  The Debbie Smith Act has also been central in eliminating the rape 
kit backlog in my home State of Texas, which had reached the point of 
more than 20,000 untested kits at one point earlier this decade.
  As I said at the beginning, I introduced the Debbie Smith Act of 2019 
to reauthorize this important funding stream that supports the 
auditing, testing, and sharing of DNA evidence so we can eliminate that 
backlog and ensure that it will not grow again in the future. The 
benefits of continuing the programs created under the original Debbie 
Smith Act cannot be overstated, and we must get this important 
legislation to the President's desk before it expires at the end of 
September.
  Since it was first enacted in 2004, the Debbie Smith Act has never 
lapsed or expired, and there is no excuse for allowing it to expire or 
lapse this year. This bill is not controversial; it is not partisan; 
and it is not divisive. In fact, when it came to the Senate floor, not 
a single Senator voted against it.
  Since we passed the legislation in May, the House of Representatives 
has sat on its hands and has done nothing. After repeated requests from 
myself, our other colleagues, and countless victims' advocates, Speaker 
Pelosi has refused to bring the Debbie Smith Act up for a vote.
  Earlier this week, the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents 
more than 348,000 members, sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Leader 
McCarthy urging the House to move this legislation.
  We also heard from the National District Attorneys Association, 
RAINN, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, and several other law 
enforcement and victims' rights groups which are fully supportive of 
this legislation. All of us are ready for the House to act.
  I urge Speaker Pelosi to take up the Debbie Smith Act once the House 
returns to Washington in September and before it expires or lapses. It 
is simply unconscionable to let unrelated partisan bickering stop a 
bill that brings justice to victims.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.

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