[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16844-16847]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       SUPPORTING NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH 2010

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1637) supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2010 and expressing the sense of the 
House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise 
awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating 
effects on families and communities, and support programs and practices 
designed to prevent and end domestic violence, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1637

       Whereas domestic violence affects people of all ages as 
     well as racial, ethnic, gender, economic, and religious 
     backgrounds;
       Whereas females are disproportionately victims of domestic 
     violence;
       Whereas 6 in 10 Native American women will be physically 
     assaulted in their lifetimes;
       Whereas on average, more than 3 women are murdered by their 
     husbands or boyfriends in the United States every day;
       Whereas approximately 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse 
     women also abuse children;
       Whereas approximately 15,500,000 children are exposed to 
     domestic violence every year;
       Whereas children exposed to domestic violence are more 
     likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away 
     from home, and engage in teenage prostitution;
       Whereas a large study found that men exposed to physical 
     abuse, sexual abuse, and adult domestic violence as children 
     were almost 4 times more likely than other men to have 
     perpetrated domestic violence as adults;
       Whereas women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates, 
     per capita, of intimate partner violence;
       Whereas approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the United 
     States is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse 
     from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds 
     victimization rates for other types of violence affecting 
     youth;
       Whereas teen girls who are physically and sexually abused 
     are up to 6 times more likely to become pregnant, and more 
     than 2 times as likely to report a sexually transmitted 
     disease, than teen girls who are not abused;
       Whereas 1,500,000 high school students nationwide 
     experienced physical abuse from a dating partner in a single 
     year;
       Whereas young people who are physically abused perform 
     worse in school;
       Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 
     60 percent more likely to report one or more suicide attempts 
     in the past year;
       Whereas primary prevention programs are a key part of 
     addressing teen dating violence, and many successful 
     community examples include education, community outreach, and 
     social marketing campaigns that account for the cultural 
     appropriateness of programs;
       Whereas one-quarter to one-half of domestic violence 
     victims report that they have lost a job due, at least in 
     part, to domestic violence;
       Whereas the annual cost of lost productivity due to 
     domestic violence is estimated at $727,800,000 with over 
     7,900,000 paid workdays lost per year;
       Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, in 2003, the costs of intimate partner violence 
     exceed $8,300,000,000 and $1,200,000,000 in the value of lost 
     lives;
       Whereas even 5 years after the abuse has ended, health care 
     costs of women with a history of intimate partner violence 
     remain 20 percent higher than those for women with no history 
     of violence;
       Whereas in addition to the immediate trauma caused by 
     abuse, domestic violence contributes to a number of chronic 
     health problems, including depression, alcohol, substance 
     abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, 
     and often limits the ability of women to manage other chronic 
     illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension;
       Whereas men are the perpetrators in at least 85 percent of 
     domestic violence cases and prevention programs should 
     address their needs;
       Whereas research demonstrates that men are willing to help 
     prevent violence against women, particularly through shaping 
     the attitudes of younger men and boys;
       Whereas a multi-State study shows that domestic violence 
     shelters are addressing victims' urgent and long-term needs 
     and are helping victims protect themselves and their 
     children;
       Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs 
     aimed at intervening and preventing domestic violence in the 
     United States; and
       Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to 
     preventing and ending domestic violence should be recognized: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the House of Representatives--
       (A) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic 
     Violence Awareness Month; and
       (B) recognizes the National Safe Child Initiative as an 
     awareness-raising campaign to educate the public about the 
     prevalence and problem of child abuse, and commends the 
     National Safe Child Coalition for bringing awareness to and 
     working to protect children from batterers; and
       (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
     Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic 
     violence in the United States and its devastating effects on 
     families and communities, and support programs designed to 
     end domestic violence.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Hawaii (Ms. Hirono) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Hawaii.


                             General Leave

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House 
Resolution 1637 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HIRONO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1637, which 
supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness 
Month to be recognized this October. National Domestic Violence 
Awareness Month is an important time to raise awareness of domestic 
violence and its devastating effects on our families and communities. 
In addition, this month offers organizations, social workers, and 
public officials a chance to spread the word about the resources which 
help victims seek the help they desperately need.
  I would like to thank Representatives Poe and Green for introducing 
this important measure. And once again, I express my support for House 
Resolution 1637.
  Domestic violence is defined as the willful intimidation, assault, 
battery, sexual assault or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an 
intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic that affects women, 
men, and children in every community regardless of age, sex, economic 
status, nationality, or educational background.
  One in four women and one in six men will be victims of domestic 
violence in their lifetime, and 15\1/2\ million children are abused 
every year. Children exposed to domestic violence are more likely 
themselves to commit acts of domestic violence when they are adults, 
and to commit suicide, abuse drugs, and engage in teenage prostitution. 
It is critical that our communities have the resources they need both 
to help prevent domestic violence from occurring and to support victims 
when abuse has occurred.
  During this month, communities and groups nationwide hold events to 
increase awareness of domestic violence and the resources available to 
help victims escape the cycles of violence. Additionally, these events 
educate the public about ways to prevent and end abuse. We especially 
recognize the hard work and dedication shown by organizations and 
individuals that serve victims of abuse and educate the public about 
domestic violence prevention.
  Mr. Speaker, I once again express my support for House Resolution 
1637 which recognizes the month of October as National Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month.

[[Page 16845]]

  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 1637, supporting the 
goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2010 and 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United 
States and its devastating effects on families and communities, and 
support families and practices designed to prevent and end domestic 
violence.

                              {time}  1830

  Women disproportionately experience domestic violence in their lives. 
Boys who are exposed to domestic violence are four times as likely to 
perpetrate domestic violence of adults. The cost of intimate partner 
violence exceeds $8.33 billion each year. As evident by these 
staggering statistics, domestic violence has far-reaching effects in 
our society.
  Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, assault, battery, 
sexual assault and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate 
partner against another. It is an epidemic that affects individuals in 
every community, regardless of age, economic status, religion, 
nationality, educational background or gender.
  Domestic violence is far-reaching and affects men and women of all 
ages and backgrounds. Male victims are less likely than women to report 
violence and seek services, but are often victims of domestic violence. 
Both men and women experience the same dynamics of interpersonal 
violence and face many of the same hurdles thereafter, including job 
loss, increased rates of drug and alcohol abuse, and increased rates of 
suicides.
  Unfortunately, children are often victimized as the witnesses of 
domestic abuse. Research has shown that children who witness domestic 
violence and living in an environment where violence occurs may 
experience some of the same trauma as abused children. Children who 
witness domestic violence are more likely to become abusers as adults 
and face many of the same risk factors as the victims of abuse.
  Domestic violence affects the victim, children, the abuser and entire 
families and communities. It is important that we support the promotion 
of awareness of this issue and those individuals and organizations that 
work to prevent and end domestic abuse.
  I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1637.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed 
to control that time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I would like to start by thanking the 
gentlelady and the ranking member. I would also like to thank my 
friend, the sponsor of this resolution from Texas, Mr. Ted Poe, a 
former State district court judge in the State of Texas, former 
prosecutor in Harris County, and someone that I have known for more 
than 20 years. He and I have worked on this effort. It is a 
collaborative effort and this is his year to sponsor and I cosponsor 
with him. And I will be honored to sponsor next year and he will, of 
course, work with me as a cosponsor of this resolution.
  But I want to say this about Mr. Poe: This is something that he does, 
not because it happens to be legislation. I know him from his days as a 
prosecutor, and these cases concerning domestic violence were cases 
that he took seriously. And I know him from his many years as a State 
district court judge, and I can honestly say, as I look toward him, 
that these were cases that he took seriously.
  So this is more than just another resolution for Mr. Poe, and for me 
as well. This is something that we take seriously because we, as 
judges, we have seen what the results of domestic violence can do to a 
family, what it can do not only to the person who is actually the 
victim, but the entire family becomes a victim of domestic violence. 
And I am just honored to have this opportunity to cosponsor the 
resolution with Mr. Poe this year.
  The resolution has 41 Democratic and Republican cosponsors. Clearly, 
it is bipartisan. It is a resolution that receives wide support 
annually, and it is a resolution that transcends more than party lines. 
It also transcends lines of ethnicity. It transcends the lines of 
religion. It transcends the lines of business, the lines that tend to 
put us in various categories. This resolution transcends all of these 
lines because the violence that is perpetrated transcends all of these 
lines. It goes into all walks of life.
  It doesn't matter what your economic status is, your social status 
is. Domestic violence can impact people at all levels of life. And this 
resolution hopefully will put enough focus on it, such that we will 
continue to admonish persons who engage in this kind of invidious, 
abhorrent behavior, admonish them to seek counseling, to try to get 
yourself in a position such that you can treat your fellow human being 
as a child of God meriting the same kind of consideration that you 
would want your daughter or your mother, if you happen to be a male.
  I would also add that there have been Federal efforts that should not 
go unnoticed. This started about 20 years ago and has continued, and we 
have had more than just this month. We also had the Violence Against 
Women Act of 1994, which created a new culture as it relates to 
domestic violence. It helped the police and the judges and the 
prosecutors to understand that this was more than a personal event that 
took place. It was something that impacted society as a whole. And I am 
looking forward to supporting the reauthorization of the Violence Again 
Women Act in 2010.
  Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, this provides emergency 
shelters, crisis intervention programs, and community education.
  I am also proud to mention the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
because this act provided $225 million for violence against women in 
the sense that it helped to fund programs that will help women who find 
themselves being victimized.
  The awareness of domestic violence is growing. I have indicated that 
judges and prosecutors and police officers----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Ms. HIRONO. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. The constabulary, if you will, now understands 
the importance of treating this as a serious issue, and much progress 
has been made. However, there is still much to be done. We still have 
about 9,000 requests for help that go unnoticed and unanswered on a 
daily basis. We still have victims who continue to suffer in silence: 
29 women lost their lives in Harris County; 136 Texas women were 
killed; 11 Texas children were killed; 92 percent of homeless women 
suffer physical and sexual abuse.
  So I will just simply close with this: I am honored to be a 
cosponsor, and I am honored that the resolution is being presented. And 
I beg that all of my colleagues would please support this resolution 
because you are supporting families across the length and breadth of 
the country. You are keeping them together, and you are helping to 
prevent someone from being abused.
  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

                              {time}  1840

  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  It is an honor to once again sponsor this Domestic Violence Awareness 
Month resolution.
  I want to commend Judge Green for working with me on this issue. He 
did make one mistake, however. He said we have known each other for 20 
years. I'm sorry; it has been 30 years since we were young buck lawyers 
in the courthouse doing battle in Houston, Texas. So it has been a long 
time.

[[Page 16846]]

  But he is correct, this is an issue that must continue to come to the 
awareness of the American people, that domestic violence is something 
that is, unfortunately, continuing in this country.
  Thirty-five percent of the murder victims that were killed in 2008 
were killed at the hands of people they knew. Intimate partners, 35 
percent of them, murdered by people that were close to them.
  In 2007, crimes by intimate partners accounted for 23 percent of all 
crimes against women.
  In a single day in 2009, 65,000 victims were treated by domestic 
violence programs; but, due to lack of resources and funding, almost 
10,000 were turned away because there were no resources to take care of 
them.
  We have a growing need and presence of domestic violence shelters 
throughout the country, and they have fewer and fewer resources to take 
care of these women who seek refuge from someone that they knew who has 
been trying to assault them or has succeeded in assaulting them.
  Congress must, of course, pass the reauthorization of the Family 
Violence Prevention and Services Act. Victim service providers are on 
the front lines of defense against domestic violence, and this funding 
is vital to the treatment and reduction of domestic violence.
  I spent all of my legal career before coming here as a prosecutor and 
a criminal court judge, so I was always in the courthouse doing 
criminal cases, and I saw the result of what happens when people in 
family situations commit crimes against other family members. It is 
something that has to cease in this country, and it is also something 
that we, as a community, need to be aware of. Unfortunately, many times 
courts don't take these cases seriously.
  One of my favorite people is Yvette Cade from Baltimore, Maryland. 
Yvette Cade was a real person, still is a real person. And all these 
cases are about real people, Mr. Speaker.
  On October 10, 2005, Yvette Cade's estranged husband--Roger Hargrave 
is his name. He and his wife were not getting along, so he sought her 
out. He went to the business where she worked, a video store, walked 
inside with a bottle full of gasoline, came up to her, and he poured 
that gasoline over her head and he set her on fire. Yvette Cade, a 
victim of domestic violence.
  She survived that brutal assault, and, thanks to a passerby that saw 
this happen, the fire was put out in the parking lot. The judge 
involved in this case, Prince George's County Judge Richard Palumbo, 
had already lifted a protective order against Hargrave. If he had not 
lifted that protective order to keep him away from his estranged wife, 
she may not have had this brutal assault committed against her.
  Now, Hargrave is serving life in prison for the assault, setting his 
wife on fire, but Mrs. Yvette Cade has third-degree burns over 60 
percent of her body. She has had 19 surgeries. She survived this brutal 
attack. She is a remarkable woman. She has a spirit that it surprises 
me she has the spirit that she does.
  But she is just one of thousands of people, Mr. Speaker, that are 
assaulted in the family, and it continues. We, in this society, must 
make sure that it is socially unacceptable to hurt somebody in the 
family.
  My grandmother, who was the most influential person in my life, lived 
to be the age of 99. Judge Green would like this: She never forgave me 
for being a Republican. That is a different issue. But she always said, 
You never hurt somebody you claim you love. And that is a true 
statement, and it always has been. You never hurt somebody you claim 
you love. We need to send that message out throughout the Nation, 
especially in these family situations. And young males need to 
understand that if they get in a relationship with a young woman that 
they never hurt them if they claim they love them.
  So it is an honor for me to support this. I honor also and recognize 
the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, all those wonderful 
organizations that are out there taking care mainly of women who find 
themselves in desperate situations because someone that supposedly 
loved them treated them so badly.
  Mr. CASSIDY. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. HIRONO. In closing, Mr. Speaker, it is very clear, and I thank my 
colleagues for their very strong remarks in support of this resolution, 
because domestic violence truly knows no bounds; and the women, 
children, and seniors who are the most vulnerable in our communities, 
who are generally the victims of domestic violence, need our support 
and our help. So I again urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 
1637.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House 
Resolution 1637, expressing the support of the House of Representatives 
of the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness month. 
I would like to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Education 
and Labor Committee for bringing this resolution to the Floor; and I 
would also like to thank Representative Ted Poe--author of the 
resolution--for his tireless efforts to raise awareness of the scourge 
of domestic violence.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution because domestic 
violence for me is not an abstract concept. I have lived through 
domestic violence and I think it is important for people to hear my 
story and understand the human side of this problem. My colleagues who 
spoke before me did an excellent job laying out the statistics but the 
numbers do not fully express what it's like to survive domestic 
violence.
  I have said this before but I can't stress this point enough: it is 
so important that everybody in America be involved in stopping domestic 
violence. There are so many people out there that have heard some woman 
scream in the night or seen some child beaten by a father, mother or 
caregiver and simply done nothing about it. They say to themselves that 
it is not their business, and so they go on their merry way, and they 
feel like this problem will go away on its own. It doesn't go away. It 
only gets worse and worse and worse until sometimes people get killed 
or maimed for life. I know because I have lived through this hell.
  My father was six-foot eight, and my mother was five-foot-and-a-half 
inches tall, and he used to beat her so badly that we couldn't 
recognize her. He would tear her clothes off of her in front of me and 
my brother and sister, and then if we said anything he would beat us 
too.
  Thankfully for my family he eventually went to prison for trying to 
kill my mother, but one of the reasons it went that far, in my opinion, 
is because there wasn't enough attention paid to what he was doing in 
the first place.
  I can remember one night about 2 o'clock in the morning, my mother, 
who had been beaten up, took me and my brother and sister down to the 
police station in Indianapolis, and she went to the desk sergeant and 
said to him, you know, she wanted to get a restraining order, get away 
from this brute and this brutality. And the desk officer said, you know 
what time it is, lady? It's 2 o'clock in the morning, and these kids 
ought to be in bed. If you don't take these kids home right now, I'm 
going to arrest you for child abuse. That was the attitude that we saw 
back in those days.
  I can remember when she would throw a lamp through the front window 
when he was beating on her, or me, and scream for help so loud that you 
could hear it for blocks away and nobody came. Nobody's light went on. 
Nobody paid any attention. That is the crime! The crime isn't just the 
wife abuse or child abuse or spousal abuse. The crime is that people 
don't take it upon themselves to stop it.
  Today, police departments have improved across this country; and 
there are a lot of organizations that are trying to help men, women and 
kids who are abused, and that's great. It's a great step in the right 
direction, but as the statistics that we've heard today tell you, the 
violence still goes on and on and on. The only way it's going to stop 
is, if collectively across this country, men and women who see violence 
in public or in private or hear about it, report it to the police, 
report it to the proper people and get that perpetrator away from that 
man and that woman and those kids. If we don't do that, this is never 
going to stop. The perpetrator has to be afraid of what's going to 
happen to him or her.
  And so I'd like to say to my colleagues, this is very important 
legislation. I really appreciate it. I'm glad that we sponsor this 
every year, and I encourage everyone to vote in favor of this 
resolution. We need to make sure there's awareness of this violence. 
Only by shining the light of day on it can we eliminate this scourge 
once and for all.

[[Page 16847]]


  Mr. BOSWELL. I rise today to bring to light my concerns about the 
growing epidemic of domestic violence in our country, and to vehemently 
voice my support for H. Res. 1637, commemorating October as Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month.
  Domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking are 
crimes of epidemic proportions that impact millions of individuals and 
every community in our Nation. To address and prevent these crimes, the 
Federal Government created the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and 
the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). VAWA programs 
administered by the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human 
Services (HHS) have changed Federal, tribal, State and local responses 
to these four crimes.
  In 2007, crimes by intimate partners accounted for 23 percent of all 
violent crimes against females and 3 percent of all violent crimes 
against males. This rate jumped in 2008, when 35 percent of female 
murder victims were killed by an intimate partner. These staggering 
statistics are just a few examples of how serious this problem has 
become. These figures compel us to raise awareness in the health care 
community about the devastating effect that domestic violence has on 
families and communities.
  The current economic crisis has a disproportionately high and 
devastating impact on victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, 
dating violence and stalking. When victims of these heinous acts take 
the difficult step to reach out for help, many are in life-threatening 
situations and must be able to find immediate refuge. Given the 
dangerous and potentially lethal nature of these crimes, we cannot 
afford to ignore these victims' needs.
  We in Congress continue to support the Department of Justice and the 
Department of Health and Human Services as they continue their efforts 
to put an end to domestic violence in our country.
  I urge my colleagues to continue to raise awareness about this grave 
issue by supporting H. Res. 1637 and designating October as Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month.
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my full support for 
H. Res. 1637, the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Act. This 
act recognizes the importance of efforts to raise awareness of this 
problem nationally, while educating health care workers about the signs 
of domestic abuse and its long-term effect.
  Domestic violence affects people of all races, religions, cultures, 
gender, age and economic standing. In New York City alone, it is 
estimated that over 25,000 women suffer some sort of domestic abuse 
annually. In New York State, over 20,000 women sought assistance from 
the authorities last year. Although much has been accomplished since 
the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, much remains 
to be done.
  This is not a problem that affects women alone; children, teenagers, 
men and the elderly can also be affected, either directly or 
indirectly. For example, research shows that children who grow up in 
violent households tend to do badly in school, abuse drugs or alcohol, 
engage in prostitution or become abusers themselves when they are 
older. This is why it is important for Congress to broaden and 
strengthen its efforts in educating the public about this issue.
  I commend Rep. Ted Poe of Texas for his legislation recognizing 
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the work that needs to 
be done, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I also commend 
the work of activists, organizations and law enforcement agencies in 
raising awareness of this issue.
  Ms. HIRONO. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1637, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________