[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 185 (Thursday, October 21, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H5736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize National Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month.
  Sadly, domestic violence has plagued our families and communities in 
the Nation for far too long.
  Each year, one in three women and one in four men in the United 
States experience domestic violence.
  My hometown of Fresno has, sadly, one of the highest rates in 
California of verified domestic violence calls to the police 
department.
  We cannot ignore these staggering statistics, and we must do more to 
address this crisis. This year, Congress passed the Violence Against 
Women Act and the Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, fix, to prevent 
violence and expand victim services to our communities.
  These bills would help organizations working tirelessly to uplift 
survivors, including the Marjaree Mason Center, the Centro La Familia, 
and the Valley Crisis Center in my district.
  This week, the House also will be voting on the Family Violence 
Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021, of which I am a 
cosponsor. This bill aims to improve services for victims of domestic, 
dating, and family violence, and we need to invest more.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in advancing these efforts to end 
domestic violence. As chair and cofounder of the Congressional Crime 
Survivors and Justice Caucus, it ought to be our priority to benefit 
those survivors and provide them the resources they deserve.

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