[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14259-14262]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS AND 
                            PREVENTION MONTH

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 8) expressing the sense of 
Congress with respect to raising awareness and encouraging prevention 
of sexual assault in the United States and supporting the goals and 
ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 8

       Whereas, on average, another person is sexually assaulted 
     in the United States every two minutes;
       Whereas, the Department of Justice reports that 248,000 
     people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 2001;
       Whereas, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims of 
     rape or attempted rape;
       Whereas, children and young adults are most at risk, as 44 
     percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18, 
     and 80 percent are under the age of 30;
       Whereas, sexual assault affects women, men, and children of 
     all racial, social, religious, age, ethnic, and economic 
     groups in the United States;
       Whereas, less than 40 percent of sexual assault victims 
     pursue prosecution by reporting their attack to law 
     enforcement agencies;
       Whereas, two-thirds of sexual crimes are committed by 
     persons who are not strangers to the victims;
       Whereas, the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half 
     in the last decade;
       Whereas, because of recent advances in DNA technology, law 
     enforcement agencies have the potential to identify the 
     rapists in tens of thousands of unsolved rape cases;
       Whereas, aggressive prosecution can incarcerate rapists and 
     therefore prevent them from committing further crimes;
       Whereas, sexual assault victims suffer emotional scars long 
     after the physical scars have healed; and
       Whereas, free, confidential help is available to all 
     victims of sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault 
     Hotline, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers across the 
     United States, and other organizations that provide services 
     to assist victims of sexual assault: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That--
       (1) it is the sense of Congress that--
       (A) National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month 
     provides a special opportunity to educate the people of the 
     United States about sexual violence and to encourage both the 
     prevention of sexual assault and the prosecution of its 
     perpetrators;
       (B) it is appropriate to salute the more than 20,000,000 
     victims who have survived sexual assault in the United States 
     and the efforts of victims, volunteers, and professionals who 
     combat sexual assault;
       (C) national and community organizations and private sector 
     supporters should be recognized and applauded for their work 
     in promoting awareness about sexual assault, providing 
     information and treatment to its victims, and encouraging the 
     increased prosecution and punishment of its perpetrators; and
       (D) police, forensic workers, and prosecutors should be 
     recognized and applauded for their hard work and innovative 
     strategies to increase the percentage of sexual assault cases 
     that result in the prosecution and incarceration of the 
     offenders;
       (2) Congress urges national and community organizations, 
     businesses in the private sector, and the media to promote, 
     through National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
     Month, awareness of sexual violence and strategies to 
     decrease the incidence of sexual assault; and
       (3) Congress supports the goals and ideals of National 
     Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Scott) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on S.J. Res. 8.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution as a way to further increase 
awareness of sexual assault and recognize the important contributions 
of victims in various groups that combat sexual assault. The police, 
forensic workers, and prosecutors should be praised for their hard work 
and dedication to this fight.
  Through recent advances in DNA technology, law enforcement agencies 
have developed the potential to identify the rapists in tens of 
thousands of unsolved rape cases. The work of these individuals to 
prosecute sexual assault cases and incarcerating the offenders makes 
all of us safer.
  We must also recognize the work of victims, national and community 
organizations, private sector supporters, and the media in this area. 
These groups helped to increase public awareness and provide support 
for individuals affected by this dramatic experience. Public awareness 
is a vital tool in combatting the incidence of sexual assault. It is 
noteworthy that the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half in 
the last decade.
  This resolution also recognizes the plight of victims of sexual 
assault. Often, victims suffer emotional scars that remain long after 
the physical scars have healed. Free, confidential help is available to 
all victims of sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault 
Hotline, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers in the United States and 
other organizations that provide services to assist the victims of 
sexual assault.
  Hopefully, public awareness of this issue will also help victims to 
recognize that they are not alone and encourage them to come forward 
and report the crime. Currently, less than 40 percent of the sexual 
assault victims pursue prosecution by reporting their attack to law 
enforcement agencies.
  This resolution offers the support of this Congress and brings 
attention to this very important issue. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in supporting the individuals and organizations that dedicate 
themselves to combatting sexual assault.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.

[[Page 14260]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to join the chairman of the Committee on the 
Judiciary in supporting S.J. Res. 8 to call attention to National 
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The purpose of this 
resolution is to increase public awareness of sexual assault and to 
recognize the important contributions of various individuals and groups 
across the United States that combat sexual assault.
  Mr. Speaker, sexual assault victims are primarily young people with 
44 percent of the victims under the age of 18, 80 percent under the age 
of 30. Sexual assault affects women, men, children of all races, 
social, religious, age, ethnic and economic groups and even prisoners. 
Yet less than 40 percent of sexual assault victims pursue prosecution 
by reporting their attack to law enforcement agencies.
  Mr. Speaker, as we recognize Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
Month, Congress also recognizes that other tools are also important in 
preventing and addressing sexual assault. With advances in DNA 
technology, law enforcement agencies have been able to identify and 
prosecute many offenders, and the potential exists to identify tens of 
thousands of additional offenders in unsolved rape cases. That is why 
it is so important that Congress provide additional resources needed to 
immediately eliminate the current backlog of rape evidence kits across 
the United States.
  I look forward to working with my colleague, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin, in authorizing and funding the Debbie Smith Act and other 
bills aimed at reducing the DNA backlog.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Wisconsin (Mr. Green).
  Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for 
yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, some would be quick to point out that this resolution is 
about symbolism; but in this area and on this subject, symbolism is 
important. Symbolism can help us raise the profile of this very 
important issue.
  As the previous speaker, the chairman, just alluded, there are things 
that we should celebrate in our battle against sexual assault. Rape is 
down 50 percent over the last decade. We have recently passed the 
Protect Act, child abduction legislation, that I think will offer new 
tools and resources in the fight against sexual assault. The committee 
is developing DNA legislation that will provide additional tools and 
resources; but as we all know, we have so far to go.
  A person is sexually assaulted in this country every 2 minutes.

                              {time}  1230

  According to the Department of Justice, nearly 250,000 people were 
assaulted in 2001 alone; 1 in 6 women have been the victim of rape or 
attempted rape.
  This resolution declares that Congress supports the goals and ideals 
of the National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. We can use this 
opportunity to educate the public on how to prevent sexual assault. We 
can use this opportunity to recognize those in the community that 
volunteer numerous hours to work with victims. We can use this 
opportunity to recognize law enforcement for their dedicated work in 
this battle against sexual assault in the areas of increased conviction 
and increased prevention, and we can use this opportunity to salute the 
more than 20 million victims who have survived sexual assault. We stand 
with them. By raising the profile, hopefully these numbers will fall 
and we will have fewer victims, we will have more convictions, and we 
will have greater awareness of this awful battle we must fight.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) who is a lead 
sponsor of this resolution, an advocate for the issue.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S.J. Res. 8, 
and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner), the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member, and the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) for all of their hard work on this 
issue and this resolution and for their work in preventing sexual 
assault and rape.
  The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) and I introduced the 
companion legislation to this bill, H.J. Res. 36 in the House earlier. 
This April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, but it is 
important to remember that preventing sexual assault should be a top 
priority during each month of the year.
  We must also remember that violence against women is not just a 
woman's issue, it is a man's issue, a family's issue, and an issue that 
is important to society at large.
  According to the Department of Justice, someone is sexually assaulted 
in this country every 82 seconds. That translates to over 1,000 a day, 
and over 380,000 sexual assaults every year; yet we have the ability to 
help protect our daughters, our sisters, and our friends by putting 
rapists behind bars using DNA evidence. We know that DNA evidence is 
better than a fresh set of fingerprints, and we know it is often better 
than eyewitness testimony.
  Earlier this year I reintroduced with the gentleman from Wisconsin 
(Mr. Green) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner) an important 
piece of legislation that would take important steps to prevent sexual 
assaults from occurring. The Debbie Smith Act would provide critical 
funding for eliminating the backlog of unprocessed DNA evidence, for 
establishing sexual assault forensic examiner programs, and for 
training law enforcement and prosecutors about how to use DNA 
technology most effectively.
  The bill also establishes a national standard for the collection of 
DNA evidence, thereby ensuring that the evidence is processed in a 
reasonable amount of time. I authored this bill after Debbie Smith 
testified before the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. She 
spoke about the tool of DNA and how it can be used to convict rapists. 
She was raped near her home in 1989, and for 6\1/2\ years she lived in 
fear that her attacker would return to fulfill the threat he had made 
to her that day, that if she told anyone, he would kill her. Only on 
the day that her husband told her that the man that had raped Debbie 
had been identified through a DNA match and was in prison was Debbie 
able to breathe again.
  Tragically, there are other Debbie Smiths out there, other women 
still living in fear because they do not know if their attacker will 
come back to them again. The Debbie Smith Act will help to bring 
justice and closure to the survivors of rapes and their families, and 
it will help prevent rapes by putting rapists behind bars.
  This is an issue that both Republicans and Democrats agree on. 
Attorney General Ashcroft earlier this year stated that he supported a 
$1 billion initiative to process DNA evidence. This is clearly very 
important because there is an estimated 350,000 to 500,000 kits 
unprocessed around the country. It is no wonder that only 2 percent of 
women who are raped will ever see their attacker spend a day in jail, 
but each rape kit represents a life, the life of a person like Debbie 
Smith, and each rape kit represents a predator, a rapist who may strike 
again and again. Law enforcement tells us that most rapists, if not 
caught, will attack approximately, or at least, 8 times.
  It is time to put DNA evidence to work stopping rapes and sexual 
assaults from occurring around the country, and I do believe that this 
year we will pass this bill. It is needed, it is important, and we will 
pass it because there is strong bipartisan support from the White 
House, from the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), from the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green), and many others. I thank everyone 
who has worked on it. There is no greater way to celebrate Sexual 
Assault Month than to pass legislation that will prevent sexual 
assaults in the future. I am hopeful this year we will be able to 
achieve that.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S.J. Res. 8, 
the joint resolution expressing the sense of Congress with respect to 
raising awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the 
United States.

[[Page 14261]]

  The statistics on the widespread nature of sexual assault are 
alarming. It is estimated that one in six women in the United States 
have been victims of rape or attempted rape. One in five children will 
be a victim of sexual abuse before reaching the age of 18. However, 
recent educational efforts have proved successful--the rate of sexual 
assaults has decreased by half in the last decade. It is critical to 
the safety of all Americans that we build on these efforts.
  Sexual assault is perpetuated by silence. One of the most startling 
aspects of sex crimes is how many go unreported. The joint resolution 
we are voting on today is a step in acknowledging the all too prevalent 
reality of sexual assault. Further, we must support the existing 
programs and resources for victims of sexual assault and their 
families, such as the National Sexual Assault Hotline and more than 
1,000 rape crisis centers across the United States. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation as a show of commitment to the 
goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
Month.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S.J. Res. 8, 
a resolution to raise awareness and encourage prevention of sexual 
assault. There is no crime that is more personal, more intrusive, or 
more painful than rape, and it must be a priority of this Congress and 
this Administration to work toward an end to this violence. 
Unfortunately, while this resolution is a nice demonstration of 
sympathy and support from the Congress, it is woefully inadequate. 
While I strongly support its passage, the Republican Leadership should 
allow the House to consider legislation to provide real relief to 
victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. It is my hope that 
this resolution will be followed by consideration of H.R. 1267, the 
Domestic Violence Screening, Treatment, and Protection Act; H.R. 1046, 
the Debbie Smith Act dealing with the DNA evidence backlog; H.R. 394, 
the Violence Against Women Civil Rights Restoration Act; and many 
others.
  We have come a long way in the last 30 years since women started 
speaking up and speaking out against sexual assault. We are now better 
able to treat rape victims in emergency rooms; law enforcement has 
access to tools to teach them how to respond to the crime of sexual 
assault; and there are social and mental health services available to 
women who are survivors of rape. I am grateful for this progress.
  However, as we've raised awareness of this violence, we have also 
learned that it reaches far deeper into every aspect of our society 
than we wanted to admit or acknowledge. It is far more likely that 
perpetrators know their victims and aren't just strangers in the 
bushes. And women aren't the only victims--one in 33 men have been 
victims of rape or attempted rape. Furthermore, teens are twice as 
likely as any other age group to be victims of crime--nearly one-third 
of all sexual assault victims are raped between the ages of 12 and 17, 
and one in five girls becomes a victim of violence in dating 
relationships.
  We've also heard a lot this year about women at the Air Force Academy 
who have been victims of sexual assault. It is a disgrace that so many 
women have been re-victimized and silenced as a result of our 
military's reaction to these violent crimes. We must work hard to 
change the culture in every branch and at every level of the military 
from one that accepts violence against women to one that condemns such 
violence and treats victims, and all women, with respect and equality. 
But what we haven't heard much about is that men in the military are 
also victims of sexual assault. A special report appeared in January 
2003 and revealed that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs began 
collecting nationwide data on the extent to which men have been 
sexually traumatized in the armed services. The preliminary results are 
that nearly 22,500 male veterans--more than one of every 100 former 
soldiers, sailors and airmen treated by the VA--reported being sexually 
traumatized by peers or superiors during their military careers. This 
once again shows that sexual violence is about humiliation, 
degradation, and control.
  We must commit ourselves to ending violence against women this month 
and every month. We must fully fund all Violence Against Women Act 
programs. We must speak up when we hear people speak about sexual 
violence in a dismissive or harmful way. We must educate our sons to be 
nonviolent and to treat women with respect. I believe that if we commit 
ourselves, we can end violence against women. Therefore, I urge my 
colleagues to vote for S.J. Res. 8.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S.J. Res. 
8, the Joint Resolution expressing the sense of Congress with respect 
to the raising awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault 
in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.


                         What S.J. Res. 8 Does

  The Resolution echoes the goals and ideals of the National Sexual 
Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, namely to increase public 
awareness of the occurrence and the effects of sexual assault and to 
improve our nation's overall ability to prevent new incidents.
  The need for this legislation stems from data compiled by the Bureau 
of Justice Statistics and the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. 
Specifically, the fact that ``a person is sexually assaulted in the 
United States every 2 minutes'' and that 248,000 people in the United 
States were sexually assaulted in 2001 as reported by the Department of 
Justice underscores the urgent and emergent nature of this problem. 
Furthermore, the Resolution cites statistics that 1 in 6 women and 1 in 
33 men have been victims of either rape or attempted rape. In addition, 
in terms of victim age, 44 percent are under the age of 18 and 80 
percent are under the age of 30. I support this legislation because 
sexual assault has a significant and direct effect on the lives of many 
of the constituents in my legislative District.


             Effect on State and Local Constituent District

  Between 1997 and 2001, the number of family violence incidence 
reported and the number of women killed by intimate male partners has 
remained at a consistent high (See Attachment 1).
  In Texas, 35 percent of the women killed in 1997 were murdered by an 
intimate male partner, which is higher than the national average of 28 
percent as reported by the FBI (Texas Council on Family Violence, 
2002).
  In Houston, 21,621 family violence incidents were reported. Out of 
this number, 15 women were killed by intimate male partners (Texas 
Council on Family Violence, 2001).
  In Harris County in 2001, 26,353 family violence incidents were 
reported. Likewise in 2001 and out of this number, 22 women were killed 
by intimate male partners (Texas Department of Public Safety, 2002). In 
addition, every 20 minutes, there is 1 domestic violence incident 
reported to the police (3 domestic violence events every hour in the 
County). The National Crime Victimization Survey reports that in 1998, 
only 50 percent of all actual domestic violence incidents are reported. 
According to the Harris County Public Health & Environment Services, 
likely factors that have led to the increased number of incidents 
include: ``changes in law relating to domestic violence, increase [sic] 
public awareness of domestic violence, increase in support facilities 
for Domestic Violence survivors established by the government and 
various community groups, more effective involvement of the law 
enforcement in the incidents of domestic violence, and better tools 
provided to District Attorney's Office for prosecuting the offenders of 
domestic violence.''


                          Other Relevant Data

  The direct harmful effects of sexual assault and domestic violence 
have been well documented:
  Pregnacy--A 1996 review indicated that between 0.9 percent an 20.1 
percent of women experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) (Center 
for Disease Control (CDC)).
  Elderly--An estimated 551,011 elderly persons (aged 60 and over) 
suffered abuse, neglect, and/or self-neglect in domestic settings in 
1996 (National Center for Victims of Crime, 1998). The median age for 
elder abuse victims was 77.9 years in 1996.
  Disabled--Women with disabilities face the same risks as all women 
face, plus those associated with their particular disability. 
Furthermore, studies have shown that women with physical disabilities 
more likely received abusive treatment from attendants and health care 
providers (Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, 1997)
  Homeless/Low-Income--A study of 777 homeless parents (predominantly 
mothers) in ten U.S. cities revealed that 22 percent had relocated 
because of domestic violence (Homes for the Homeless, 1998). 
Furthermore, a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors 
indicated that 46 percent of the surveyed cities identified domestic 
violence as a primary cause of homelessness (1998).
  Men affected--According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 1998, 
men were found to be victims of approximately 160,000 violent crimes by 
an intimate partner.
  The vast and diverse statistics mentioned above relative to the very 
problems targeted by S.J. Res. 8, in my legislative ``back yard'' as 
well as nationwide warrant my attention as well as the attention of my 
colleagues. For the above stated reasons, I vote in favor of S.J. Res. 
8 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

[[Page 14262]]



                                                  ATTACHMENT 1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  2001      2000      1999      1998      1997
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family violence incidents.....................................   180,385   175,282   177,176   175,725   181,773
Women killed by intimate male partners........................       113       104       133       116       102
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Texas Council on Family Violence, 2001.

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her 
advocacy, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) 
that the House suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution, 
S.J. Res. 8.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate joint resolution was 
passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________