[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2467-2470]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL STALKING AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 82) raising awareness and encouraging 
prevention of stalking by establishing January 2009 as ``National 
Stalking Awareness Month''.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                               H. Res. 82

       Whereas in a 1-year period, an estimated 3,400,000 people 
     in America reported being stalked, and 75 percent of victims 
     are stalked by someone who is not a stranger;
       Whereas 81 percent of women, who are stalked by an intimate 
     partner, are also physically assaulted by that partner, and 
     76 percent of women, who are killed by an intimate partner, 
     were also stalked by that intimate partner;
       Whereas 11 percent reported having been stalked for more 
     than 5 years and \1/4\ of victims reported having been 
     stalked almost every day;
       Whereas one in four victims reported that stalkers had used 
     technology, such as e-mail or instant messaging, to follow 
     and harass them, and one in 13 said stalkers had used 
     electronic devices to intrude on their lives;
       Whereas stalking victims are forced to take drastic 
     measures to protect themselves, such as changing their 
     identities; relocating, changing jobs, and obtaining 
     protection orders;
       Whereas one in seven victims moved in an effort to escape 
     their stalker;
       Whereas approximately 130,000 victims reported having been 
     fired or asked to leave their job because of the stalking, 
     and about one in eight lost time from work because they 
     feared for their safety or were taking steps, such as seeking 
     a restraining order, to protect themselves;
       Whereas less than half of victims report stalking to police 
     and only 7 percent contacted a victim service provider, 
     shelter, or hotline;
       Whereas stalking is a crime that cuts across race, age, 
     culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental 
     ability, and economic status;
       Whereas stalking is a crime under Federal law and under the 
     laws of all 50 States and the District of Columbia;
       Whereas there are national organizations, local victim 
     service organizations, prosecutors' offices, and police 
     departments that stand ready to assist stalking victims and 
     who are working diligently to craft competent, thorough, and 
     innovative responses to stalking;
       Whereas there is a need to enhance the criminal justice 
     system's response to stalking and stalking victims, including 
     aggressive investigation and prosecution, and to increase the 
     availability of victim services across the country tailored 
     to meet the needs of stalking victims; and
       Whereas the House of Representatives urges the 
     establishment of January 2009 as National Stalking Awareness 
     Month: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
       (A) National Stalking Awareness Month provides an 
     opportunity to educate the people of the United States about 
     stalking;
       (B) all Americans should applaud the efforts of the many 
     victim service providers, police, prosecutors, national and 
     community organizations, and private sector supporters for 
     their efforts in promoting awareness about stalking; and
       (C) policymakers, criminal justice officials, victim 
     service and human service agencies, college campuses and 
     universities, nonprofits, and others should recognize the 
     need to increase awareness of stalking and the availability 
     of services for stalking victims; and
       (2) the House of Representatives urges national and 
     community organizations, businesses in the private sector, 
     and the media to promote awareness of the crime of stalking 
     through National Stalking Awareness Month.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, House Resolution 82 is a bipartisan measure and will 
help raise awareness of the terrible toll that stalking is taking in 
our society. Every year, stalking affects millions of Americans of both 
genders and of all races and ages.
  The consequences of stalking can be extremely serious. The fear and 
mental anguish can leave stalking victims paralyzed. Stalkers cause 
their victims severe emotional distress, including anxiety, insomnia, 
social dysfunction and depression, which can affect all aspects of 
life, including family, social activities and work.
  In fact, many stalking victims have been forced to relocate their 
residences and also frequently needed psychological counseling. 
Approximately

[[Page 2468]]

130,000 victims reported being fired or forced to find work elsewhere 
because they've been stalked.
  Stalking also leads to physical attacks on the victim. This explains 
why most States and the Federal Government treats stalking as a felony. 
Over 75 percent of women murdered by an intimate partner have been 
stalked by that partner. Advances in technology have given stalkers 
ever-increasing access to their victim's personal information, making 
the victim even more vulnerable.
  I'd like to commend my Judiciary Committee colleague, the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Poe), for his leadership on this issue. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 82.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I'm proud to have introduced House Resolution 82, 
establishing January as National Stalking Awareness Month.
  I hope this resolution serves as a unifying force for the community 
leaders, policy-makers, and victim service providers. The goal of this 
resolution is to raise awareness and encourage prevention of stalking 
by establishing January 2009 as National Stalking Awareness Month.
  Stalking, conduct intended to instill fear in a victim, is a crime 
that occurs in every State in our country. As the cochair and founder 
of the Congressional Victims Rights Caucus, I have spoken to countless 
victims and victim service providers about the dangers of stalking and 
the tragedies that have occurred in their lives.
  A January 2009 report from the Department of Justice Bureau of 
Justice Statistics found that during a 1-year period an estimated 
3,400,000 people in America reported being stalked. According to the 
National Center for Victims of Crime, this is an increase of 2 million 
victims per year in the last decade. These statistics are a jarring 
reminder of the scope and seriousness of this crime.
  The Department's study also found that nearly three out of four 
victims knew their stalker, and approximately one in four victims 
reported some form of cyberstalking.
  Stalkers pursue and harass their victims and are often relentless. 
Cyberstalkers systemically flood their target's e-mail inbox with 
obscene, hateful or threatening messages.
  Cyberstalkers may also assume the identity of their victim and post 
information, fictitious or not, to solicit unwanted responses from 
other people. Although cyberstalking does not involve physical contact 
with a victim, it is still a serious crime. The widespread use of the 
Internet and the ease with which hackers can find personal information 
has made this form of stalking more accessible to criminals.
  By establishing January 2009 as National Stalking Awareness Month, 
Congress can help to educate Americans about the severity of stalking 
and encourage victims to report these crimes to the police. We 
recognize and applaud the many law enforcement agencies and victims' 
services for their effort to combat stalking and increase awareness of 
services available to stalking victims.
  Stalking has only been criminalized for 28 years. Unlike domestic 
violence stalking is about power and control over the victim. While 
stalking is now a crime in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and 
the Federal Government, stalking often leads to other crimes, including 
physical assault, sexual assault and sometimes homicide. Stalking laws 
are basic to the individual right of each person in this country to be 
left alone and their right of privacy.
  The best way to attack the threat of stalking is through law 
enforcement and education, and I encourage victim service providers, 
law enforcement prosecutors and community leaders to promote awareness 
of stalking, and I thank them for their efforts every day in making the 
lives of victims better.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Culberson).
  Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, Judge Poe is exactly right. Our most 
fundamental right as Americans is the right to be left alone. It is 
important legislation and appreciate the judge bringing it to us.
  We're going to hear from our good friend Congressman Royce in a 
minute who has been working on this legislation for many years. We will 
hear from him in just a moment.
  I want to make sure, however, we as a Congress are focused on the 
financial hurricane stalking America just over the horizon. The 
financial, really if we're not careful, the urgency of this financial 
hurricane is something we cannot afford to ignore any longer.
  We, as a Congress, have as our highest priority again the 
preservation of the security and financial safety of future 
generations. We're guardians of the Treasury. We're responsible for 
ensuring that we're not spending money we don't have; yet this so-
called stimulus bill has added to the urgency of this financial 
hurricane stalk in America.
  This $1.3 trillion spending spree that the new liberal majority has 
engaged has, in fact, created at least 32 new Federal programs at a 
cost of about $137 billion. This spending spree of $1.3 trillion over 
these 17 legislative days has a lot more to do with expanding the power 
base of the liberal majority and growing the Federal Government's power 
than it does with stimulating the economy.
  In my opinion, this legislation will do, in fact, far more to turn 
America into France ultimately than it will to restore the strength and 
vibrancy of America's free market economy, and that's the best way to 
stave off this financial hurricane stalking America today.
  We, I think, as fiscal conservatives may be outnumbered today, Madam 
Speaker, but we have an obligation to stand up and speak out at every 
opportunity. We are entrusted by our constituents with the 
responsibility to lay out thoughtful, fiscally responsible alternatives 
to the profligate spending we see coming from the other side. At a time 
of real national emergency, when we're seeing disturbing trends in job 
losses, when average Americans want to make sure that we as a Congress 
are being only good stewards of their money, well, what are we doing to 
ensure the security of their next paycheck? What are we doing to 
reassure Americans that we're doing everything in our power to protect 
the security of their job, to make sure that they don't have fear 
stalking their household that they are going to lose their job or lose 
the security of that health care coverage that they've always had?
  This liberal majority, instead, has been focused on creating brand 
new programs to pay for public school construction. That's an area that 
the Federal Government has traditionally steered away from because of 
the massive cost. This stimulus bill that, again, is going to do far 
more to grow the government than grow the economy, this stimulus bill 
promoted by the new liberal majority in Congress, has set aside about 
$14 billion for school modernization and repair; $6 billion for higher 
education modernization and repair. That means for the first time that 
Federal taxpayers are assuming the responsibility for rebuilding and 
repairing local public school buildings, all these traditionally the 
responsibility of local taxpayers, locally issued bonds by school 
districts and universities across the country.
  I know the Houston Independent School District tells me just to 
complete, off-the-cuff figure, they estimate they've got in the Houston 
Independent School District alone about $4 to $5 billion worth of need 
to rebuild, repair existing school buildings. Imagine the size of that 
obligation that this new liberal majority has now created for future 
generations to pay for.
  We are in this, as fiscal conservatives, doing everything in our 
power to enlighten the American people, to let the public know, Madam 
Speaker,

[[Page 2469]]

that there's a thoughtful, fiscally conservative alternative out there, 
America. We want to cut your taxes and cut spending to get this economy 
moving. We vigorously oppose this effort to grow the government and 
saddle future generations with more debt.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Royce). He is the original sponsor of the stalking 
legislation.
  Mr. ROYCE. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I also agree that on the issue on this omnibus spending spree that 
we're calling a stimulus bill, that where we increase from $1 trillion, 
add another trillion and push up the deficit to 10 percent of the GDP, 
this is not the answer.
  But let me talk for a minute about the stalker bill because I'm the 
author of the first stalker act, both here in the Federal Government 
and at the State level in California.
  In Orange County, California, we had four young women who were killed 
in the span of 6 weeks, and law enforcement had told me at the time 
that if they had been able to intervene they could have protected them. 
One law enforcement officer said the hardest thing he ever had to do in 
his life, he was waiting to try to apprehend the man who was going to 
kill his girlfriend. The man succeeded and then killed himself. It was 
30 seconds too late for the officer to prevent that, or a minute too 
late.
  So the Federal law and the State law, the California law has now, 
frankly, been copied by all 50 States. But I wanted to share with my 
colleagues here that our Federal anti-stalker law has now been passed 
in Japan. It's been passed in countries in Europe and elsewhere around 
the world. I'm still getting calls from legislators about the need to 
set up this deterrence, so that when a credible threat is given against 
a victim of a crime, she knows when she's being threatened and stalked, 
that that's a felony, that she can take out a restraining order; she 
can thus make that a felony and get law enforcement involved in order 
to protect her.
  Let me just say that I think this resolution is important because 
what it does is raise the level of awareness around the country as to 
the necessity of not only law enforcement, judges, but the average 
citizen to be aware of this. And those who are involved, men and women 
who are involved in stalking their victims should understand that under 
State and Federal law they risk serving serious time in Federal and 
State penitentiary if they continue with this pattern of threats and 
behavior.
  Let me also say that I think that in our society it is really time to 
figure out how the victims can get access to the information about the 
laws that we pass, because too many times we have people--and this even 
includes in law enforcement--who are not cognizant of the fact that 
they can step in here and get involved and prevent serious harm before 
it occurs.
  So just in closing and yielding back my time, I commend the sponsors 
and cosponsors of this resolution, because in calling attention to this 
special week, National Stalking Awareness Month, calling attention to 
this, my hope is that all of you can make those potential victims of 
this crime more knowledgeable so that they understand they have 
recourse, so that steps can be taken before they're physically harmed.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Radanovich).
  Mr. RADANOVICH. I thank the gentleman from Texas for that.
  Last week, Madam Speaker, I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues 
in opposing a recklessly wasteful economic stimulus package that 
promised $32 billion for my home State of California, currently 
suffering from 8.2 percent unemployment.
  California does not need $32 billion worth of spending to stimulate 
the economy because, at the same time, our State water supply has been 
hijacked by the irresponsible Endangered Species Act. A simple flip of 
the switch at the pumps at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could save 
40,000 jobs and rescue a $90 billion industry from the brink of 
disaster.
  Instead, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem more 
interested in spending money like drunken sailors and watch the 
Endangered Species Act literally dehydrate one of America's most 
prosperous industries.

                              {time}  1515

  Every one of my colleagues from California has no excuse not to join 
me in calling for a temporary suspension of the Endangered Species Act 
to immediately start the flow of water from the delta pumps in 
California.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. 
Chaffetz).
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. I congratulate my colleague, the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Poe). This is a great piece of legislation.
  There are too many of our fellow citizens who don't feel the safety 
and security that the rest of America feels. They feel the weight of 
somebody watching them or pestering them. They are worried about that 
when they go to the grocery store, they are worried about that when 
they go to the gas station. There's a feeling that sinks in on you that 
all too many people recognize. And this will address the stalking 
component of it. It's something that I think the rest of America also 
feels when they look at our economy and what this Congress is failing 
to do. It's failing to be responsible with the people's money. It's not 
the government's money.
  As we look at $10-plus trillion debt and a so-called stimulus bill 
that I think most of us recognize will not stimulate the economy, we 
can only look at that and recognize that it's our children and 
grandchildren that will be burdened with this debt. That they will have 
to pay it.
  We are $10 trillion in debt. Last year, we paid $429 billion just in 
interest on that debt. And the people that I talk to, the people from 
Utah and from around the country that are peppering us with information 
and feedback, are absolutely fed up. They don't want to have that 
burden. And every time we spend a dollar, a dollar we don't have, and 
can't afford, we create a burden upon the American family.
  $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. It will do 
nothing to stimulate our economy. Absolutely nothing. $650 million for 
the conversion to digital television, for goodness sake. We don't have 
the money to do that. $13 million for research related to volunteer 
service; $70 million for a support computer for climate research; $524 
million to create, ``388 jobs in the United States'' through the State 
Department Capital Investment Fund.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. I'd like to refocus. The purpose of this bill has to do with 
stalking. A few years ago, most of us didn't even know what stalking 
was. And now, most Americans know someone or personally have been 
affected by a stalker out there, whether it's a physical stalker or 
whether it's someone on cyberspace. It has become a growing crime in 
this country.
  Madam Speaker, as I mentioned before, I think the Constitution, in 
essence, says one thing--that we, as people, as individuals, have the 
right to be left alone. And criminals who stalk to harass and to put 
fear in the souls and the minds of individuals should be, of course, 
prosecuted.
  I thank Mr. Royce for his endeavors years ago to make this crime a 
national crime, and also an awareness of most individuals. So I urge 
support of this legislation, this resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, we have been lectured again by the party that authored 
the economic mess that we have been in for the last 8 years about 
economic theory. I just want to remind everyone what that economic 
theory created. It erased a $5\1/2\ trillion surplus and replaced it 
with at least a $3\1/2\ trillion debt. There was no comment about 
fiscal responsibility and our grandchildren paying off the debt while 
they were doing that to the public.

[[Page 2470]]

  And, while overspending the budget by $9 trillion, or even more, they 
incredibly managed to produce the worst job performance since the Great 
Depression. And now they are criticizing those who support the economic 
theory that created the $5\1/2\ trillion surplus and tens of millions 
of jobs.
  If you just want to look at economic activity, and not just the jobs, 
if you look at what happened to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. If 
the last 8 years of the Dow Jones Industrial Average had done in the 
last 8 years what it had done during the preceding 8 years under the 
Democratic economic theory, the Dow Jones Industrial Average would be 
approximately four times bigger than it is now.
  So look at your 401(k) and imagine if it had been four times bigger. 
That is where it would be if the economic results of the Democratic 
theory of the 1990s had been in effect. I think most of the people 
would like to see their 401(k)s and IRAs four times bigger than it is 
today.
  So we will let the people decide which economic theory they would 
rather have--the one that we have been lectured from, or the one that 
was put into effect in 1993 and the one we are trying to get the 
economy back on track with a stimulus package, which many economists 
think is too small for the big mess that we are in.
  In any case, Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank the gentleman from 
Texas for introducing the legislation establishing January, 2009, as 
National Stalking Awareness Month. I hope that we would adopt the 
resolution.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, today we will vote on an 
important piece of legislation that discusses a problem that persists 
in communities across our country. This bill will show that this 
problem will not go away with wishful thinking and good intentions. 
Something must be done to prevent stalking now. We can not afford to 
wait. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution, do 
their part to make America aware of stalking, and do their utmost to 
prevent its occurrence.
  Every day, millions of women and men have their lives disrupted by a 
stalker. While every state and DC has passed laws that make this act 
illegal, stalking still happens far too often. We must do everything we 
can to tell those being stalked that they are not alone and we will 
help them. We must do everything we can to tell those terrorizing their 
fellow man or woman with stalking that you will be caught and 
prosecuted.
  Madam Speaker, stalking has multiple ways it can impact its victims. 
Stalkers do not just harass and annoy their targets, they also cause 
real financial and psychological harm. 26% of stalking victims have 
lost time working because of their stalkers while a full 7% have been 
so frightened, they have not returned to work at all. Almost 30% have 
sought counseling because of the stalking. Overall, the prevalence of 
insomnia, anxiety, social dysfunction and severe depression is much 
higher among stalking victims.
  These victims feel helpless and will do anything to control their 
lives again. The number of victims who drastically change their lives 
to get away from these individuals is staggering. Through no fault of 
their own, the victims often reach out to law enforcement early 
requesting restraining orders to prevent contact with their tormenters. 
These attempts rarely work and result in about 3 out of every 4 
restraining orders being violated. Victims have gone so far as to move 
from their homes to prevent the stalker from being able to antagonize 
them. One in seven victims has moved in order to maintain their ability 
to live their life or as normally as possible.
  In one out of five cases, the stalker will approach his target with a 
weapon to threaten or harm them. The worst is that in cases where a 
woman is murdered by an ex-intimate partner, nearly 90% of them were 
stalked prior to the homicide. This can not be allowed to go on 
anymore. We have the means and the ability to prevent these attacks.
  While technology has aided law enforcement in the ability to target 
stalkers it has also been used by the stalker to target and contact 
victims. One in four victims have reported being stalked online. Every 
day women are stalked and not enough of them are reporting it. Less 
than half report it to law enforcement officers and only 7% contact 
victims groups. As the famous author Michele Archer said, ``It is 
important that people know that stalking is a crime and that they can 
do something about it.'' This advice can help save a lot of lives.
  The biggest misconception about stalking is that it only happens to 
women. While women are the majority of the targets, they are by no 
means the only gender that is stalked. Men and women are both targeted 
and attacked. This legislation will help bring attention to this 
problem that's underreported, undereducated on and overlooked far too 
often.
  All of us, as members of Congress, want to help, and so often we 
disagree on how to accomplish that laudable goal. For once we can agree 
on a problem and can help provide a solution. Today we have that chance 
to make an impact upon the people who live in daily fear. We can say to 
them today they are not alone, we are on their side and we will do 
anything we can to fight for them. We can also say that stalkers' days 
are numbered.
  Madam Speaker, I urge that my colleagues support this resolution.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 82.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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