[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21631]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CELEBRATING THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

  (Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. I am so proud 
of the light that Congress shined on domestic violence 15 years ago 
this week, of the work that the dedicated staff and advocates have done 
for the past decade and a half, and of the bravery shown by victims and 
their families. For 15 years now, the Office on Violence Against Women 
has served as a safe haven for families everywhere. Through it, we have 
provided services and counseling during victims' darkest hours, 
emergency and transitional shelter in times of need, and legal 
assistance to help prosecute perpetrators.
  Domestic violence is a scourge in this country, one that recognizes 
no income brackets, no race, no age. Earlier this week, I joined my 
constituents in Wisconsin for the fourth annual Brides Walk. We donned 
wedding dresses and marched through the streets of Milwaukee, calling 
attention to the violent murder of Gladys Ricart. Gladys was in the 
process of handing her bouquet to her maid of honor 8 years ago in New 
York when a former lover burst into the church and killed her in her 
wedding dress.
  Domestic violence is not a private matter. Domestic violence against 
a partner or a child, whether physical or mental, is not okay. On this 
anniversary, I urge my colleagues to recommit themselves once again to 
ending this injustice in our country.

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