[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 16, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1196-S1199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Mr. President, the second item I would like to mention refers to a 
moving, historic presentation this morning by the President of Ukraine 
to a joint session of Congress.
  He did it virtually by remote because he is literally in Kyiv, 
risking his life every single day for his nation.
  Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have started his life as a standup comedian, 
but at this moment in life, he is a standup President of Ukraine, who 
is confronting the monster of Moscow who has unleashed this invasion on 
his country. He begged us to continue to help, and we will.
  Last week, we added almost $14 billion to the effort to support the 
Ukrainian defense and resistance. We need to do that and more.
  Many of the suggestions by the Republican Senator are consistent with 
that goal, and I would endorse it. But I want to leave it to President 
Biden to make the critical decisions as our Commander in Chief who is 
really tasked with America's national security as his highest priority.

  I take exception to this notion that Joe Biden didn't understand the 
timing of this crisis. He understood it better than anyone. He knew 
that if he pushed too far and too fast, two things might occur: first, 
that the Russians would move because we had precipitated it with an 
action we had taken. He was hoping, as we all did, that this could be 
ended bloodlessly and that an innocent people would be saved from what 
we see, the devastation that is happening in Ukraine today. So he was 
careful to make those moves in a way that Putin couldn't use them as an 
excuse for starting the invasion.
  Second, and more important, he needed to move at a pace consistent 
with building the NATO alliance. President Joe Biden succeeded in that 
effort. The NATO alliance today is stronger than it has ever been. 
Don't believe the last President of the United States had anything to 
do with that, just the opposite was true.
  Joe Biden picked up that alliance from the mat and brought them up to 
fighting trim, to be ready, if needed, to ``defend every square inch,'' 
as he says, ``of NATO territory.'' That timing was crucial. And 
decisions which seem so easy and obvious in America were much more 
complex on the continent of Europe. Joe Biden knew that, and he paced 
himself accordingly. And because of that today, we have the strongest 
alliance in the face of Vladimir Putin that he has ever seen and that 
we have ever seen.
  The last point I want to make to this, you could not watch the 
graphic video presented by President Zelenskyy without breaking your 
heart. Every parent and grandparent in America watching that video saw 
a member of his family, a child, a lifeless corpse because of a man 
named Vladimir Putin and what he is doing to that poor country. 
Unprovoked, he has invaded them and kills innocent people every single 
day.
  Last night, unanimously, the Senate decided, as they should, that the 
conduct of Vladimir Putin was nothing short of a war crime. I can't 
think of any other way to describe it and certainly never excuse it.
  Zelenskyy touched our hearts too. His people are fighting a valiant 
effort, and the United States and allies and countries that share our 
values stand behind him and will continue to.


         Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022

  Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues Senators Murkowski 
and Ernst and, of course, my friend and colleague Senator Feinstein to 
celebrate the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, more 
commonly known as VAWA. Yesterday, President Biden signed it into law. 
This is a monumental achievement for the survivors of domestic sexual 
violence and those who stand by them.
  It is an achievement that wouldn't have been possible without 
bipartisan cooperation. It, literally, would not have been possible. I 
have been proud to work with my three colleagues whom I mentioned.
  With this strengthened version of VAWA, we have helped to ensure that 
every survivor in America, no matter where they live, will be able to 
reach for a lifeline in a moment of crisis. We have expanded and 
authorized services for rural survivors, survivors who need culturally 
specific services, and LGBTQ survivors. We have reauthorized programs 
that ensure survivors and their families can access housing, 
healthcare, and essential support services. We have improved rape 
prevention and education, as well as services and protections for young 
survivors. We have enhanced critical protections for Native American 
women and children who experience violence at the hands of non-Native 
perpetrators.
  It doesn't include everything we had hoped for. That is the nature of 
legislation and compromise. I wish there had been stronger protections 
for housing and economic assistance, but we had to find an agreement, 
and we did.
  The bill contains several important provisions to help boost 
enforcement of our gun laws. I wish it would have finally closed the 
so-called ``boyfriend loophole,'' but that was beyond our reach in this 
effort.
  The lack of those provisions could not attract enough bipartisan 
support in the Senate to pass on their own. They will be saved for 
another day.
  For nearly 30 years, VAWA has transformed the way we address domestic 
and sexual violence in America and saved countless lives. At a moment 
when nearly one in three women--one in three--have experienced some 
form of physical or sexual violence, a crisis that has grown worse 
during the pandemic, VAWA is going to help save lives.
  Let me tell you a story. My office received a letter from a woman 
named Kesha, who works with Connections for Abused Women and their 
Children in Chicago. Kesha told me that VAWA provides funding for 
domestic violence services at Chicago's Haymarket Center, an amazing 
agency I know full well.
  She shared the story of Cassandra, who was receiving treatment at the 
Center for Substance Abuse and disclosed to a counselor that she was 
the victim of abusive treatment. Her counselor referred her to VAWA, 
and that program gave her an opportunity to ``open up about the 
emotional, financial, and physical abuse she had suffered for years at 
the hands of [an] abusive husband.''
  Kesha wrote:

       After weeks of domestic violence psychoeducation, a 
     supportive network encouraging her, and her own personal 
     resilience, Cassandra decided that if she wanted to remain in 
     recovery and not relapse, [she had to find a new home, away 
     from her abuser.] With the help of her domestic violence 
     counselor, Cassandra was able to break free and transition 
     into temporary housing.

  She has been able to gain financial independence and find a job. She 
has remained on her path to recovery, a success story, and a reminder 
that VAWA doesn't just help save lives, it gives survivors the power to 
rebuild their own lives.
  VAWA also provides funding for educational programming, and it has 
done it so well.
  I want to thank Senator Feinstein, Senator Ernst, and Senator 
Murkowski for their partnership and tireless leadership in getting this 
bill addressed, introduced, and across the finish line.
  I want to thank their staff: Jessica Jensen, Senator Feinstein's 
chief counsel, as well as Nick Xenakis, her former chief counsel; Corey 
Becker and Kristina Sesek, Senator Ernst's legislative director and 
general counsel; and Anna Dietderich, Senator Murkowski's legislative 
assistant.
  On my Judiciary Committee staff, I would like to give thanks 
especially to Stephanie Trifone and Nicole McClain Walton and Chastidy 
Burns.
  I want to thank the other members of the committees of jurisdiction 
and their staffs, along with Ranking Member Murkowski and the minority 
staff on the Indian Affairs Committee,

[[Page S1197]]

chaired by Brian Schatz. They have done an extraordinarily good job, a 
bipartisan job, when it comes to Native Americans.
  Chair Murray and the staff of the HELP Committee, Chair Brown and the 
staff of the Banking Committee, Chair Wyden and the staff of the 
Finance Committee were part of this victory.
  As you can see, this was a multicommittee team effort on both sides 
of the aisle, and that is the only reason we can stand here today and 
say we will continue to give hope to those who are struggling with 
domestic violence and abuse.
  I ask unanimous consent that Senators Ernst, Murkowski, and Feinstein 
be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each prior to the cloture 
vote on the Corely nomination.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Iowa.
  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues Senator 
Durbin, Senator Feinstein, and Senator Murkowski for joining me on the 
floor this morning to talk about a very important topic and one that we 
can finally celebrate, which is the passage and the signing of the 
Violence Against Women Act.
  Nine years--it has been 9 years since the Violence Against Women Act 
was reauthorized, but, finally, the Senate reauthorized and modernized 
this very important bill.
  Last week, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 
passed the House and the Senate, and yesterday, at long last, it was 
signed into law.
  I have been a proud champion of this bill over the last 3 years. And 
while no bill is perfect, I am extremely grateful for the bipartisan 
work to get it over the finish line.
  This bill is personal. Many of you know my story. I am the one out of 
three women who has experienced some form of physical violence by an 
intimate partner.
  Similarly, one in four men have had the same experience. This means 
nearly 20 people per minute, more than 10 million women and men in the 
United States every single year have suffered this horrific personal 
abuse.
  I am not a victim. I am a survivor. It took me a long time to say 
those words out loud. And my hope is that with this bill some women 
will never have to, and those who do will have the necessary support 
and resources in a moment of crisis to cope with and ultimately 
overcome their trauma.
  The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act is a bright 
light in our current troubling reality.
  The bill includes so many critical resources, especially in our rural 
communities, that have been drastically overlooked.
  Specifically, the bill doubles the support for both the rural 
domestic violence assistance program and the Rape Prevention and 
Education Program, both of which are of great importance to my home 
State of Iowa.
  And my sincere hope is that the resources contained in this new law 
will finally help truly move the needle on domestic violence around the 
country and that some of our Nation's most vulnerable will have access 
to the support that they so desperately need.
  To my colleagues, thank you, especially to Senators Feinstein, 
Durbin, and Murkowski for your diligent work on domestic violence-
related issues over the years.
  I also want to thank Republican Senators Cornyn, Collins, Capito, 
Portman, Cramer, Tillis, Moran, Burr, and Blunt for supporting this 
vital bill at introduction.
  The negotiations were, at times--my colleagues will recognize this--
very tough, and there were several doubts along the way as to whether 
the bill would actually ever happen. But with a little bit of tenacity 
and good-faith negotiating, we got there.
  To those who work every day around this great country to help 
domestic violence survivors, including our law enforcement officers who 
are answering those domestic violence calls, thank you.
  While working at a victim's shelter answering the hotline in college, 
I heard the heartbreaking stories of abuse. I understand this is your 
daily reality. Please know your work is not going unnoticed and is 
making a difference in the lives of those around you.
  To all of the advocates, I greatly appreciate and respect your 
passion for the causes you support. Your persistence made this bill 
possible, and it made this bill better.
  While the end result isn't perfect, it modernizes the resources 
necessary to meet the evolving needs of our survivors.
  This bill is proof that bipartisanship is not dead and Congress can 
tackle these tough issues.
  Finally, for my fellow Americans who can say they are survivors, for 
those who have not come to terms with their abuse and for those who 
feel trapped in their situation and for those who have lost their 
battle, please know that you are not and will never be forgotten. The 
Violence Against Women Act is for you.
  Today, I join my fellow survivors, my colleagues, and our strong and 
wonderful advocates across this country in celebrating VAWA's 
reauthorization and its modernization.
  Thank you to my dear colleagues for their wonderful work in helping 
us get this over the finish line.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I so appreciate the leadership, the 
heart of Senator Ernst and the ability to work with my colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle--Senator Durbin, Senator Feinstein--in this 
effort towards reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
  Thanks to the very open, very inclusive, and, really, a very 
transparent process that we followed, the bipartisan support that was 
built with this, we were able to include the VAWA reauthorization in 
the Omnibus appropriations bill that passed the Senate last week with 
68 votes.
  That wasn't necessarily the path that we had set on. But we had work 
to do, again, with extraordinary leadership from Senator Ernst, Senator 
Durbin, Senator Feinstein, myself, who have been working on this for 
years, but trying to build that collaborative effort, that negotiated 
effort that would result in not a partisan bill but a bill that is 
designed to help those survivors, designed to help the most vulnerable 
at their time of need.
  So there is great thanks that is due this afternoon as we recognize 
the dedication, the leadership of, again, the cosponsors, the Members 
that led this, but we all know we are backed by incredible men and 
women who work very hard to get these initiatives built and across the 
finish line.
  Senator Durbin has named many of the staffs and general counsels, our 
legislative assistants that made this happen.
  I also want to recognize all those who were named, in addition to 
those who are working on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to help us 
with that Tribal title. It was a collaborative effort that was really, 
really tireless.
  And I want to acknowledge Senator Ernst particularly. She worked 
tirelessly over these last 3 years, working to ensure that women and 
their safety--and, really, all those who are most vulnerable--their 
safety is put first.
  But to Senator Feinstein, Senator Durbin--invaluable partners putting 
the politics aside, saying: We have to figure out how we are going to 
make this happen, and they did so.
  But we and our staff can't do near the job that needs to be done 
without the advocacy and, again, this passionate grassroots advocacy 
that we have all felt.
  I want to recognize women like Tami Jerue from the Alaskan Native 
Women's Resource Center; Michelle Demmert, Brenda Stanfield from the 
Alaska Network on Domestic Violence. There were so many who urged us 
along--in fact, so many who have flown 4,000 miles to come from Alaska 
to be at a ceremony at the White House in recognition of this.
  So Senator Ernst has said how personal this issue of domestic 
violence is, and it is for so many. Half the women--half the women--in 
the State of Alaska have experienced intimate partner, sexual violence, 
or both.
  The advocates know, I know, we know how imperative it is for Congress 
to take action to reauthorize and to modernize this almost three-
decades-old law.

[[Page S1198]]

  Again, we don't want to talk about statistics because these are 
people--these are friends, these are mothers, daughters--but the 
statistics are just so in your face.
  Alaska Native women suffer the highest rate of forcible sexual 
assault and have reported rates of domestic violence up to 10 times 
higher than the national average.
  In so many of the Native villages in my State in rural Alaska, they 
have no law enforcement presence; so trying to prevent violence, trying 
to protect or ensure justice for survivors is hard.
  And so I really am very, very thankful for the work that Senator 
Schatz committed to within the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to put 
together a strong Tribal title in VAWA that would continue to empower 
Tribal courts to help combat this major public safety issue affecting 
Native people and children.
  We have got a pretty complex jurisdictional landscape as the result 
of our Native Claims Settlement Act, and the last time that VAWA was 
reauthorized in 2013, Alaska was effectively left out. But today, we 
have an Alaska solution to this jurisdictional maze. We call it the 
Alaska Public Safety Empowerment pilot project that was included in the 
Tribal title, and it is the product of years of work with Tribal 
advocates, with the Department of Justice--some pretty smart lawyers 
out there--and then good, strong work in the committee.
  And what this pilot program will do is supplement the work that the 
State of Alaska is doing with regard to public safety. It doesn't 
create Indian Country in the State, it doesn't take away any 
jurisdiction, but it will empower a limited number of Alaska Tribes to 
exercise this special criminal jurisdiction over defendants who commit 
certain crimes that we outline in the law that occur in Native villages 
in the State.
  Tribes selected to participate are going to have to meet specific 
criteria that are set by the Department of Justice. They will have to 
include a Tribal justice system that can adequately safeguard the right 
of all defendants.
  So I am optimistic. I believe that our Alaska Tribes are up to this 
job. They are going to be good partners with the State, and they will 
make a difference. They will make a difference, and they will provide 
hope to so many in these communities that have felt without hope.
  We are celebrating, again, passage of this law--the reauthorization, 
the modernization. But for so many who have shown the bravery, the 
strength, the resilience in the wake of unspeakable trauma--we know 
that so many, again, of our friends have endured domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, stalking. Many have survived, but so 
many have not.
  These women have endured physical, mental, emotional abuse. The 
impacts don't necessarily fade away because the calendar moves on; but 
on their journeys to recovery and healing, many have developed an 
extraordinary inner strength to stand up and be advocates for 
themselves and others, and they have spoken about their abuse, they 
have sought the changes to VAWA to prevent the future tragedies and 
hold perpetrators accountable, and we have heard them and their pleas 
to improve access to essential support services, whether healthcare, 
safe housing for victims--but we have also heard the cries of parents 
and loved ones who lost those that they love so very much.
  I am thinking of Butch and Cindy Moore right now. Butch and Cindy are 
from Wasilla. They have spent--I swear, they have spent every moment of 
their lives since they lost their beautiful daughter Bree, 20 years 
old. They have been advocating for prevention efforts to ensure that no 
parent experiences the loss of their child to teen dating violence.
  Butch and Cindy have said:

       As parents who have experienced the devastation of losing 
     our daughter, Bree Moore, to dating violence, we know 
     prevention is the key to keeping future generations safe from 
     interpersonal violence.

  I know that Butch and Cindy are looking at this day and feeling that, 
again, there is some hope. There is some hope.
  This is a legislative win, but I think it is also a victory--a 
victory for women everywhere--and we mark its passage in memory of both 
those that we have lost and those that have survived.
  This is the day where we recognize that this Congress can act in a 
bipartisan manner to address the crisis of violence in our communities 
by passing this reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, 
which is now law, now helping to protect women in Alaska and across the 
country, and we thank all who helped us get here.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today also in recognition of 
the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022.
  I am delighted President Biden signed it into law yesterday as part 
of the omnibus spending bill.
  It is important to know that this bill reauthorizes critical programs 
that help respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual 
assault, and stalking. It is long overdue, but today, this bill will 
become law.
  Last month, I introduced this reauthorization bill alongside Senators 
Ernst, Durbin--both of whom are on the floor today--Murkowski, who is 
also here today, and additional cosponsors.
  A number of advocates joined us, including Angelina Jolie, to speak 
about the importance of the legislation.
  The bill we introduced and the bill we are passing today has really 
strong bipartisan support, including that of 11 Republican cosponsors.
  In addition to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act through 
2027, the law includes bringing it up to date, and that is important. 
It means that existing programs will be able to do an even better job 
protecting and supporting survivors of domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
  It is the result of a truly bipartisan effort, and I want to thank 
Senators Ernst, Durbin--both are on the floor--particularly Senator 
Murkowski, for working with me to prepare this important piece of 
legislation. I am very appreciative of the partnership because the law 
will become a reality. We also had help from a number of our Senate 
colleagues on both side of the aisle who made important contributions 
to the effort.
  This act plays a critical role supporting law enforcement in their 
efforts to stop these perpetrators before it is too late. It 
reauthorizes important programs and provides the necessary updates to 
strengthen them.
  So what does it do?
  First, it enhances and expands services for survivors, including 
survivors in rural communities, LGBT survivors, survivors with 
disabilities, and survivors who experience abuse later in life. Older 
people get a lot of violence.
  It strengthens the criminal justice response to domestic violence, 
including by improving the Justice Department's STOP grant program and 
strengthening the ability of Tribal courts to address instances of 
domestic violence on Tribal lands.
  It also establishes a pilot program that focuses on addressing 
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking 
through community-based, victim-initiated efforts to seek 
accountability.
  And the law invests in prevention education efforts that will improve 
the healthcare system's response to sexual violence--we hope.
  And these changes can have a real impact. Here is one example: The 
International Association of Forensic Nurses reports that only one in 
four U.S. hospitals has a sexual assault forensic nurse on duty--not a 
special place but even one nurse on duty. Our bipartisan law remedies 
this problem by providing additional funding and training to increase 
access to forensic nurses, particularly in rural areas, where, 
strangely enough, a lot of this violence takes place.
  Through this bipartisan law, we will make significant improvements to 
our Nation's response to domestic violence, but I want to caution 
everybody, it isn't perfect.
  I really regret that certain provisions were unable to be included in 
this bill. In particular, I had hoped we could include a provision to 
close the boyfriend loophole. Most people don't know that while 
individuals convicted of domestic violence against a spouse are 
prevented from purchasing a firearm, that is not the case for those 
convicted of domestic violence against a dating partner.

[[Page S1199]]

We tried to get that part passed, and it is very disappointing that 
there was not sufficient bipartisan support for this provision to close 
what will remain a dangerous loophole.
  So, clearly, we still have work to do. There are those of us who 
follow these assaults carefully and make a determination where this 
bill works and where it might need improvement, and I have just 
suggested one. So we will watch those figures carefully.
  I would like to thank the many advocates who provided valuable input 
and support. This bill was written in close consultation with the 
people who are on the frontlines helping survivors of domestic violence 
every day.
  For nearly 30 years, the Violence Against Women Act has played a 
vital role in the Federal response to domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As Katie Ray-Jones, the CEO of 
the National Domestic Violence Hotline, noted, the Violence Against 
Women Act provides services with ``a variety of options to meet their 
evolving and complex needs for services and support.'' For example, 
according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, in a single 
day in 2020, there were 76,525 survivors, in 1 day 75,000 women were 
affected by domestic violence who received assistance thanks to 
programs funded and supported by the Violence Against Women Act.
  So despite the progress made over the last three decades, sexual, 
emotional, and physical abuse are still painful realities for far too 
many Americans. We need to say this over and over again. We need to 
change minds and change actions.
  More than one in three women and more than one in four men will 
experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner 
in their lifetime. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic 
Violence in my home State of California, approximately 35 percent of 
California women and 31 percent of California men will experience 
violence from intimate partners in their lifetimes. That is an amazing 
figure, if you think about it.
  In conclusion, let me end with this: All too often, these instances 
of domestic violence have fatal consequences. Every day, people are 
killed by a current or former intimate partner. This law is long 
overdue.
  And I want to thank the Members who have spoken on the floor and all 
those who voted for this law. We are glad to get it signed into law and 
hope to put an end to some of this.