[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6821]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BEN CHANDLER

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 18, 2005

  Mr. CHANDLER. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleague from Texas, 
Mr. Ted Poe, for his leadership on this important subject and for 
inviting me during Nation Crime Victim's Week to express my support for 
the Victims of Crime Act.
  As many of you know, Congress enacted this landmark legislation over 
two decades ago to make sure victims of crime receive the care and 
treatment they need to recover from tragic incidents. This legislation 
sent a clear message to victims across America that Congress will not 
turn its back on anyone during these difficult times. Unfortunately, 
the President's proposed budget is on the verge of breaking that 
promise. His budget would cut $1.2 billion from this successful program 
and use it to pay off mounting deficits. This cut will translate 
directly into less money for programs that help victims throughout our 
Nation.
  The people in my home district of Central Kentucky will immediately 
feel the effects of this cut. This program has provided millions of 
dollars for the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center, which this year alone 
helped over 750 rape victims. For the last 30 years, the Bluegrass Rape 
Crisis Center has served 17 counties throughout Central Kentucky. It 
was the first rape crisis center in the state and one of the first in 
the nation.
  Thanks to the Center's services, over 750 women this year have had a 
friend to face what could have been the most traumatic event of their 
life. If the President's budget goes through, the Bluegrass Rape Crisis 
Center will have to drastically cut its services, layoff experienced 
staff, and close the doors of their offices throughout Central 
Kentucky. Without this funding, there will be fewer staff members to 
answer calls at the Center's 24-hour crisis line.
  Do we really want to leave a 19 year old young woman on hold as she 
is reaching out for help after a tragic incident? Or even worse, less 
funding will result in fewer rape crisis counselors to meet a woman at 
the hospital and sit with her as she undergoes a rape exam and a police 
interview. Are we willing to have a woman wait alone in the hospital 
because her hometown does not have a designated rape counselor? And 
what are we going to say to the women who continue to experience trauma 
beyond the hospital or the police station. A funding cut would also 
leave hundreds of rape victims without counselors to help them as they 
experience flashbacks or relapses. How is a woman expected to rebuild 
her life if we strip away the tools she needs to do so?
  On behalf of all the residents in Kentucky who have suffered terrible 
crimes and are working to put their lives back in order, I encourage 
all of my colleagues to support a budget that protects victim's rights. 
We must keep our promise to these individuals and not leave them 
waiting at the hospital alone without a friend or counselor to provide 
relief. We made a promise in 1984 to care for these individuals and we 
have a responsibility to fulfill that promise. All I am asking is that 
we do what Congress said it would do in the first place.

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