[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18364-18365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1730
                 SUPPORTING CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER MONTH

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1313) expressing support for designation of May 
as ``Child Advocacy Center Month'' and commending the National Child 
Advocacy Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on their 25th anniversary in 
2010.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1313

       Whereas, in May 1985, the National Child Advocacy Center 
     opened its doors in Huntsville, Alabama;
       Whereas there are now more than 900 Child Advocacy Centers 
     in the United States, all based off of the first one in 
     Huntsville, Alabama;
       Whereas, in 2009, child advocacy centers served more than 
     260,000 children;
       Whereas services are offered to children who are physically 
     and sexually abused entirely for free to the family;
       Whereas child advocacy centers work to streamline the 
     investigation process so that the child may be helped most 
     effectively;
       Whereas this is done through a multidisciplinary team 
     managing alleged cases of abuse from the initial 
     investigation all the way through prosecution;
       Whereas, during this time, child advocacy centers offer 
     medical, therapeutic, and other support services to victim's 
     and victim's families;
       Whereas 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually 
     abused before the age of 18;
       Whereas child advocacy centers also reach out to the 
     community and sponsor programs that help bring awareness to 
     this problem;
       Whereas education and support for communities has proven to 
     be successful in preventing abuse from occurring;
       Whereas the United States Department of Health and Human 
     Services sponsored the Fourth National Incidence Study of 
     Child Abuse and Neglect Report to Congress which found that 
     from 1993 to 2006 there was a 44 percent decrease in the rate 
     of sexual abuse; and
       Whereas May would be an appropriate month to designate as 
     ``Child Advocacy Center Month'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the designation of ``Child Advocacy Center 
     Month''; and
       (2) commends the National Child Advocacy Center in 
     Huntsville, Alabama, on their 25th anniversary.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House 
Resolution 1313 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1313, which 
supports the designation of the month of May as Child Advocacy Center 
Month and commends the National Child Advocacy Center for 25 years of 
service and leadership in confronting the epidemic of child abuse.
  Tragically, Mr. Speaker, five children die each day as a result of 
child abuse and neglect in the United States of America. In 2008, a 
total of 1,740 children died as a result of such abuse. The National 
Child Advocacy Center provides critical training, prevention 
intervention, and treatment services to fight this urgent national 
problem.
  In May of 1985, the National Children's Advocacy Center in 
Huntsville, Alabama, was founded by a young district attorney from 
Madison County named Robert Cramer, Jr. Mr. Cramer--who went on to be a 
Member of the House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009--organized the 
center to improve assistance to abused children and work to end child 
abuse.
  Since then, the National Children's Advocacy Center has become a 
national leader for training child abuse specialists since their doors 
opened. After that, the center has trained more than 54,000 
professionals from the United States and 20 other countries altogether. 
The work of the center has helped many children overcome the emotional 
distress that results from the frightening experience of abuse. This 
year, child advocacy centers nationwide will celebrate over 25 years of 
providing invaluable service to the hundreds of thousands of child 
abuse victims each year, which is an opportunity for us all to 
recognize the contributions of child advocacy centers.
  Mr. Speaker, I express my support for Child Advocacy Center Month and 
thank Representative Griffith for bringing the bill forward. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1313, 
recognizing the month of May as Child Advocacy Center Month and 
commending the National Child Advocacy Center in Huntsville, Alabama, 
on its 25th anniversary.

[[Page 18365]]

Recognizing Child Advocacy Center Month allows us not only to raise 
awareness around the abuse and neglect that many of our children face 
every day, but also recognize the important work that child advocacy 
centers do in providing training, prevention, intervention, and 
treatment services to combat child abuse and neglect so that our 
Nation's children can live without fear.
  Child abuse may include physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and 
emotional abuse; and often children are victims of multiple forms of 
abuse. Statistics show that one in four girls and one in seven boys 
will be sexually abused before age 18. This saddening number highlights 
the need for child advocacy centers and will provide a place for 
various members from the community to provide the abused child with 
appropriate treatment and prevent further victimization while also 
deciding the best ways to investigate and prosecute child abuse cases.
  In May of 1985, the National Child Advocacy Center opened in 
Huntsville, Alabama. It was the first center to utilize the resources 
of not only law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, but 
also child protective services and medical and mental health 
professionals in one comprehensive group.
  In the 25 years since the creation of the Child Advocacy Center 
model, more than 900 centers have followed in those important first 
footsteps. Research has shown that education and support for 
communities has been successful in preventing child abuse. Therefore, 
it is imperative that, as members of the community, we know how we can 
help prevent and stop ongoing child abuse. Child advocacy centers 
provide an important element in these prevention activities. This is 
why I stand in support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I think one of the greatest tragedies in America today 
is child abuse. The stories that you read, the horrific stories that 
you read in the newspapers, to me, are beyond comprehension when you 
see children die or children are abused. And this abuse will affect 
them--I have seen this as a physician--30, 40, 50 years after the 
abuse. I find it incomprehensible that an adult or anyone would abuse a 
child. You're only a child for a very short time in your life. I was 
blessed with a loving mother and father to be raised with, so I can't 
comprehend the situation that many children find themselves.
  I want to encourage our colleagues, I want to thank all of the people 
in this country who get up every day and deal with these tragedies. 
This is very hard for the caregivers and people who deal with this--law 
enforcement personnel, the nurses, the doctors, the social workers who 
deal with this on a daily basis. It's difficult for them, too.
  From the bottom of my heart, I absolutely support this, and I want to 
encourage everyone in this House to wholeheartedly support this 
resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I once again want to thank Representative 
Griffith for bringing this bill forward, and I thank Representative Roe 
for his support of this initiative. I support it, and I ask my 
colleagues to join me in support of Resolution 1313.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1313.
  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. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground 
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum 
is not present.
  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.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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