[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16111-16116]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and as a compliment to 
my colleagues who just left the floor, I'd like to compliment them for 
the bipartisanship that was shown. And perhaps bipartisanship is 
becoming in vogue because this is a bipartisan effort as well.
  It is my firm belief that our Nation, while we have some differences 
on many issues, we do want to unite around issues that are crucial and 
critical to all of us. I salute what they have done, and I look forward 
to this hour of bipartisanship as well.
  I'm honored to be joined today on the floor by my colleague, the 
Honorable Ted Poe from Texas. He and I have been sponsoring this 
resolution on domestic violence for some years--since 2005, I believe--
and I am honored that he is here with us today. I will be giving a 
statement. And after my statement, I will yield to my good friend from 
the State of Texas, in the Houston area. Thereafter, we have other 
Members who are present who would of course want to weigh in on this 
subject. But before I do, let me just thank the leadership on both 
sides of the aisle for making this time available to us. It's important 
that we have this opportunity to address this issue not only here in 
Congress, but address it in such a way as to make it clear to our 
friends and our constituents at home that this is something that is 
exceedingly important to us, the issue of domestic violence.
  So Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the time. I thank the leadership for 
the time. And I thank all of the Members who will be appearing today 
for the time that they will share with us.
  I'd like to, at this time, present my opening statement. Thereafter, 
I will yield as I have indicated.
  Mr. Speaker, there are several Federal actions that have been 
instituted over the past 20 years to combat the issue of domestic 
violence. I shall highlight some of the many actions that have been 
taken.
  Domestic Violence Awareness Month was first observed 22 years ago in 
the month of October. This month provides an opportunity for our 
communities to recommit themselves to keeping the victims and the 
families of domestic violence safe while holding the perpetrators 
accountable for their actions.
  I'm honored to say that the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, which 
was championed by then-Senator Joe Biden, has created a new culture for 
police officers, judges, and those who work in the courthouse to treat 
this crime as the serious crime that it is, and it is a serious crime. 
I look forward to supporting the reauthorization of the Violence 
Against Women Act. And I want to say, by way of a little bit of 
commentary, that I was a lawyer practicing before we had a change in 
this culture. And I saw how this culture that existed at that time 
devastated the lives of many persons who were victims of domestic 
violence because there was this thought that this was something that 
was a family issue, that it was something that people should resolve 
themselves, they should try to work things out. I thank God that that 
attitude no longer exists, and that if it does exist in some quarters, 
we are working to change it. I would also add that the Family Violence 
Prevention and Services Act supports emergency shelters, crisis 
intervention programs, and community education about domestic violence.
  This Congress has done much to try to reach out not only to the 
victims, but also to the various communities against the length and 
breadth of the country to make sure that communities are well prepared 
and equipped to help those in need of some assistance.
  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided law enforcement 
with the tools it needed to protect families. It specifically included 
$225 million for Violence Against Women programs and $100 million for 
programs that are a part of the Victims of Crime Act. These funds will 
supplement Federal dollars so that local providers can retain and hire 
the personnel to serve victims and hold offenders accountable. We also 
provided critical funding for law enforcement to keep cops on the 
street and to support law enforcement programs and services through the 
Byrne Grant program. In 2010, 854 local domestic violence programs 
received stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
which allowed them to maintain or create 1,384 jobs.
  Awareness of domestic violence is growing. All over this country and 
over the last several decades the work of many individuals and 
organizations has created a sea of change in the way we as a society 
look upon the issue of domestic violence. Police, courts, and the 
public used to consider it a private family matter, as I indicated 
previously. Not surprisingly, domestic violence was close to, if not 
the, number one underreported crime in this country. Today, there is 
much more awareness. And we have started to pass critical legislation 
at both the State and Federal levels so that we can combat domestic 
violence properly.
  We have made a substantial impact on the lives of domestic violence 
survivors through laws, programs, services, and funding, but our jobs 
are not yet done. We have seen much progress. However, there is still 
much more to be done. In the year 2010, a survey was done by the 
National Network to End Domestic Violence. This survey found that in 
one day, while more than 70,000 people received help from domestic 
violence programs, over 9,000 requests for help went unanswered because 
of a shortage of resources.
  Many victims continue to suffer in silence, and for many others who 
do come forward, there simply are not enough resources available. 
Victims of domestic violence should have access to medical and legal 
services, counseling, transitional housing, safety planning, and other 
supportive services so that they can escape the cycle of abuse.
  The problem of domestic violence is not confined to any one group of 
people but crosses all economic, racial, gender, educational, 
religious, and societal barriers, and it is sustained too often by 
societal indifference. Make no mistake about it, when domestic violence 
occurs, it has a long-term damaging effect. And it has this effect on 
the victim, but not only the victim; it also leaves a mark on the 
family of the victim, the friends, and the community at large.
  In my home State of Texas, according to the Texas Council on Family 
Violence--and this is a special report; it indicates that 37 women in 
Harris County, a county where my district happens to be--37 women lost 
their lives due to domestic violence in 2010. One hundred forty-two 
women were killed by their intimate partners in 2010. There were 56 
occurrences of murder-suicides in Texas in 2010, which often left 
children without one or both of their parents. Three 17-year-old high 
school students were murdered in Texas in 2010. Five pregnant women 
were murdered in Texas in 2010. No year is a good year for the victims 
of domestic violence, and 2010 was no exception.

[[Page 16112]]

  The current statistics are staggering. One in every four women will 
experience domestic violence during her lifetime. Three women are 
killed by an acquaintance or former intimate partner each day in 
America, on average. The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 
billion each year, including $4.1 billion in direct health care 
expenses. Domestic violence has been estimated to cost employers in the 
U.S. up to $13 billion annually.
  Sexual violence is intolerable in our society because it creates a 
cycle of violence.

                              {time}  1700

  As many as 15.5 million children witness domestic violence every year 
in our country. Children who are exposed to this sort of violence are 
more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs, run away from home, engage 
in teenage prostitution, and commit sexual assault crimes.
  Men exposed to physical abuse, sexual abuse, and adult domestic 
violence as children were almost four times more likely than other men 
to have perpetrated domestic violence as adults, according to a large 
survey that has been reported.
  This is a call to action. Let us rededicate ourselves to the goal of 
ending violence against women and helping heal the lives of domestic 
violence survivors and their families. No one should have to live in 
fear in their own home, and we must continue to work to eliminate these 
acts of violence from our society.
  Nearly 1.3 million women will confront violent acts this year. 
America's leaders and our Nation's families must not let this stand. 
Let us continue to work to end domestic violence and make every home a 
safe home.
  I urge my colleagues to stand with us and support the survivors and 
their families by supporting the programs that target this insidious 
ill of domestic violence.
  At this time I am honored to yield to my colleague and friend from 
Houston, Texas (Mr. Poe).
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank you 
for your leadership on this issue. I appreciate you, Congressman Green. 
We've known each other a long time. Thirty years ago we both started as 
young buck lawyers at the Harris County Courthouse in Texas and tried 
cases against each other, you as a defense lawyer, me as a prosecutor. 
You continued to work in the defense category until you assumed the 
role of a judge in Houston. And so it's good to see you again, and I 
appreciate your leadership on this very important issue.
  Some people may not know but Judge Green and I, we disagree on some 
political things, but on some basic human rights issues we're very 
strong advocates and work together. And I appreciate your civility and 
ability to work together on important issues such as domestic violence 
awareness.
  This is an important issue, Mr. Speaker, and it's good that we 
recognize the importance of understanding how domestic violence occurs 
in our country and how we should recognize the important people that 
are involved as victims of domestic violence.
  I, too, remember the days when domestic violence was not a case where 
the police really got involved. Certainly, as a former prosecutor, we 
never saw those cases. Society's attitude about domestic violence was, 
It's not our problem, it's not a crime, it's their problem, it should 
stay in the family situation. Thank goodness, after many, many years of 
that, really, philosophy in this country and other countries who still 
have that philosophy, in the United States that's not the philosophy of 
our culture any longer; that in the family situation, spouses have the 
legal responsibility and the moral responsibility to treat each other 
with the dignity that they deserve as another human being.
  The most important person in my life has always been my grandmother. 
She lived to the age of 99. She told me a lot of things that I 
understood. She kept it in a simple way. Congressman Green, you'd be 
glad to know that she never forgave me for being a Republican. She 
actually said I'm not sure you can go to heaven being a Republican. I 
think she meant it. That's unfortunate.
  But anyway, she said something that was true then many years ago 
that's true today. She said, you never hurt somebody you claim you 
love. And that's true. We should have that attitude in this country. 
And in family situations, people should not hurt people in that family 
they claim to love. But that happens, and it happens on a regular 
basis.
  Congressman Green's given a bunch of statistics, especially from our 
home State of Texas, where this dastardly crime behind closed doors 
occurs every day in the United States. And we, as a society, cannot 
tolerate it. And I commend all the various victims rights groups, the 
women's groups who are continuing to make us aware of this problem and 
how to help solve this problem.
  You know, the Violence Against Women Act is something that this 
Congress needs to reauthorize. The VOCA funding should be reauthorized, 
Violence Against Crime Act. This legislation started way back with 
President Reagan. It's a novel idea.
  Here's the way it works, Mr. Speaker. Criminals who go to our Federal 
courts and are convicted of a crime, the Federal judge, many times, 
will order them to pay into the Crime Victims' Fund. That is a fund of 
money that goes to crime victims, and that fund is important for these 
services that help these victims' service groups throughout the 
country.
  I understand that today there's almost $6 billion in the Crime 
Victims' Fund. Now, let's make it clear. This is not taxpayer money. 
This is money that criminals pay to help the people they've hurt. It's 
kind of like paying the rent on the courthouse, make them pay for the 
crimes they created. And it's a great idea.
  But every year, and not only under this administration, but previous 
administrations, we have the same problem with the bureaucrats. They 
want to take that money that belongs to crime victims and use it for 
other purposes, and it doesn't belong to other purposes. And it's our 
duty, as Members of Congress, to make sure that fund is sufficient and 
the fund goes where it's intended, and that's to crime victims, not for 
some other purpose, even paying off the debt, because it doesn't come 
from taxpayers.
  After spending 22 years on the criminal bench in Houston hearing 
felonies, everything from stealing to killing, there were a lot of 
people who came down to the courthouse, other than defendants, that 
didn't want to be there, and many of those were crime victims. But they 
were picked, many of them, spouses, they were picked by someone who 
claimed they love them, and they were hurt. Sometimes they didn't have 
the ability to live through the injuries that they sustained. They were 
murdered by a spouse. And we cannot tolerate that.
  That's one of the reasons, when I got to Congress, along with Jim 
Costa from California, bipartisan, we started the Victims Rights 
Caucus, a caucus made up of both sides of the aisle to focus on the 
importance of crime victims and making sure that we take care of them.
  There were two situations I'd like to mention. We have not far from 
here, over in Maryland, a wonderful lady by the name of Yvette Cade. 
Yvette Cade was separated from her husband, and she had gone to 
represent herself in a court of law in Maryland, and the judge, for 
some reason, did not extend the restraining order against her spouse 
that was supposed to stay away from her.
  So when that wasn't renewed, she is working, in a video store, and 
her husband comes in the video store with a jar of gasoline and pours 
that gasoline over Ms. Yvette Cade, and set her on fire, all caught on 
video. Thank goodness for some people in the store who did the best 
they could to rescue her and put out the fire. And it was--and she 
survived that awful attack on her.
  Now, she's a remarkable woman. She's got a spirit that I just do not 
understand--even though she was burned over most of her body, and it's 
a person who claims to love another that caused that crime. And we, as 
a culture need to reach out to people like Yvette

[[Page 16113]]

Cade, wonderful lady, and make sure that, not only they're taken care 
of, but there are not more of them.
  Another case was one that I heard back in Houston. It was a little 
girl. Every day--she was a second-grader--she would catch the bus to go 
to school somewhere in Houston. One day the bus driver pulls up in 
front of her house, and she would not get off the bus. She would not. 
She refused to get off the bus.
  She's hanging on that seat in front of her, Mr. Speaker. And the bus 
driver comes back and tells her, says Lily, you need to get off the 
bus. This is your house. And she's crying, refused to get off the bus. 
And she finally told the bus driver, I only feel safe when I get on the 
bus in the morning and during the day, but I'm not safe when I get off 
the bus.

                              {time}  1710

  And that's because behind those closed doors in the silence of 
horror, she and her mother were assaulted on a daily basis. Thank 
goodness for that bus driver who intervened. Law enforcement got 
involved, and the person was prosecuted mainly for what he did to his 
wife, Lily's mother. And there's case after case after case that occurs 
like this. And we need to be constantly aware of this situation, this 
crime, understand it's not only a crime, but it's a health issue. It's 
a health issue for Americans, for those people that are hurt behind 
those closed doors.
  So I commend the gentleman from Texas, my friend, Mr. Green, and also 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), the co-chairman of the 
Victims Rights Caucus, for their leadership on this issue, making sure 
that we keep Domestic Violence Awareness Month something that we 
understand and promote and let people know out there in America that we 
have this tremendous problem, but we're going to stay on top of it and 
solve this problem.
  And that's just the way it is.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, would you please make me aware of 
the amount of time that remains to us.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 27 minutes remaining.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Green, my colleague from 
Texas, fellow barrister. I myself practiced law for 27 years before 
becoming a Congressman. Much of that time was spent as a criminal 
defense lawyer, and 12 years of that time was spent as a magistrate 
court judge. So I have an intimate awareness of the domestic violence 
issue. And there are not many things, Mr. Speaker, that are more 
important than our responsibility for job creation in this Congress. 
Not many things can transcend that, but certainly this month, Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month, is a proper occasion to do that. And so, Mr. 
Speaker, I rise in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
  Between 1990 and 2005, Mr. Speaker, firearms were used to kill more 
than two-thirds of spouse and ex-spouse victims of domestic violence, 
and it's clear that the presence of guns makes domestic violence much 
more likely to result in death. According to one study, domestic 
violence assaults involving a firearm are 23 times more likely to 
result in death than those involving other weapons such as the gas jar, 
the jar of gas that threatened the life of Yvette Cade that my 
colleague from Texas alluded to. Most of these deaths will come from 
the use of firearms.
  And, unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, one in four women will experience 
domestic violence in their lifetimes. We are talking about our mothers, 
our daughters, our sisters, and our friends. Their lives, Mr. Speaker, 
are at stake. The thing that disturbs me is that the Tea Party 
Republicans could care less about their lives because their allegiance 
belongs to the NRA.
  But let me tell you what really scares me: H.R. 822, the National 
Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011. The Judiciary Committee 
reported this horrific bill out today. Every single Republican on that 
committee voted unanimously against every amendment that was posed by 
Democrats to try to make that bill more safe. And then, with the final 
report of the bill out of committee, every single colleague on the 
other side of the aisle voted to issue that bill out favorably with the 
exception of one Republican.
  This dangerous bill will allow domestic abusers to carry concealed 
guns nationwide, making it easier for domestic abusers to follow their 
victims across State lines. During the Judiciary Committee markup, I 
offered an amendment that would have kept concealed weapons out of the 
hands of domestic abusers. This commonsense amendment to protect 
domestic violence victims was rejected unanimously by the Republicans 
on the Judiciary Committee. The Republicans, the Tea Party Republicans, 
stayed faithful to the NRA. Could you believe that they rejected 
amendments to keep concealed handguns out of the hands of sex 
offenders, suspected terrorists, anyone convicted of selling drugs to a 
minor and anyone convicted of assaulting or impersonating a law 
enforcement officer?
  Ladies and gentlemen, although Halloween is right around the corner, 
we are not in the Twilight Zone. This is real life, and the Tea Party 
Republicans have sold out the safety of the American public to the NRA. 
It is truly a sad day in America when we move such legislation, 
especially during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
  At this time, I am honored to bring to the floor a very dear friend 
from the State of California who has been an outspoken supporter of all 
of these bills to help victims of domestic violence, the Honorable Lynn 
Woolsey.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I thank the gentleman for bringing this Special Order 
together with Congressman Poe.
  Mr. Speaker, every day, millions of Americans, the great majority of 
them women, live in fear of attack, not from a stranger lurking in the 
bushes or a dark alley, but perhaps even more frightening, from the 
partner with whom they share a home or a bed.
  Domestic violence is an assault on everything that matters in a 
woman's life--her physical safety, her dignity, self-respect, and her 
job security, as well as her capacity to be a good parent.
  Children are directly in the line of fire. Too often they also are 
physically abused, but mere exposure to the violence can cause 
behavioral issues ranging from poor academic performance and truancy to 
drug abuse and domestic violence of their very own.

                              {time}  1720

  The societal impact, Mr. Speaker, is huge--billions in health care 
costs, lost economic activity and more. Domestic violence is a problem 
that affects all of us.
  Increased awareness in recent years has made a difference. There was 
a time when a woman trapped in a violent relationship had little 
recourse and faced a stigma that kept her from getting help. Just the 
fact that women are more likely to call 911 represents huge progress, 
but we have to do much more.
  For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to 
take unpaid time off work after giving birth, after adopting a child or 
in order to care for a sick relative. I've introduced a bill, the 
Domestic Violence Leave Act, H.R. 3151, that expands FMLA so that 
workers can cope with the consequences of domestic violence, sexual 
assault or stalking. This would give people the time they need to seek 
medical care, counseling, legal assistance, and to otherwise heal both 
physically and emotionally.
  Mr. Speaker, if we're serious about showing compassion for those 
who've suffered abuse, then we have to give them job flexibility. Being 
punched or raped by your partner is devastating enough. To also lose 
your income and livelihood as a result is a gross injustice.
  Let's make every month Domestic Violence Awareness Month by extending 
support to women and men who have experienced the pain and betrayal of 
domestic violence. One way to do this is to sign on to and pass H.R. 
3151, my legislation. Another is to make sure that we support and 
reauthorize

[[Page 16114]]

the Violence Against Women Act and all of the programs that that act 
supports.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank you for your words, and I trust that 
you will continue the fight. You have been an outstanding champion for 
women's rights.
  At this time, I am honored to yield to the Honorable Barbara Lee, the 
former chairperson of the CBC and a great Member from the State of 
California.
  Ms. LEE of California. Let me thank Congressman Al Green and 
Congressman Ted Poe for their leadership in organizing this Special 
Order on domestic violence. It is critical to speak out against 
domestic violence and to call attention to Domestic Violence Awareness 
Month, but it is extremely important to hear from men and to recognize 
your leadership on this.
  As someone who understands domestic violence on a deeply personal 
level, I know how traumatic this experience is and of the strong, 
consistent support system needed to emerge as a survivor. I also know 
from personal experience that domestic violence is not only physical; 
it is emotional. It is brutal, dehumanizing to the batterer and the 
battered, and without strong and enforceable criminal laws and 
services, one's life can be shattered and destroyed.
  As a survivor of domestic violence, once elected to the California 
legislature, I knew I had to do something. I am so glad to see my 
colleague, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who was then in the legislature 
at that time. We worked so hard on domestic violence issues. I will 
never forget that I was able to write California's Violence Against 
Women Act. I wrote many, many domestic violence bills that were signed 
into law by a Republican Governor. In coming to Congress now, again 
we've worked together in cosponsoring numerous bills in Congress to 
support victims of domestic violence and to prevent domestic violence.
  In my home district of Oakland, we've also worked extensively with A 
Safe Place, which is a victim-centered agency, because we know that 
staying in a shelter or working with an advocate significantly reduces 
the chances that a victim will be abused again and that it will improve 
the victim's quality of life. A Safe Place in Oakland is Oakland's only 
comprehensive domestic violence program for battered women and 
children. They provide both shelter and professional supportive 
services to victims of domestic violence, and have truly been a vital 
agency in my district.
  A Safe Place has served Oakland for 34 years, and earlier this month, 
held its 10th annual walk against domestic and teen dating violence. 
This walk continues to call attention to the issues of dating and 
domestic violence in the City of Oakland, building vital partnerships 
with law enforcement, the criminal justice system and faith-based 
organizations to better serve the community and the region. Their 
programs and services are designated to address the many complicated--
and I mean these are complicated issues--which affect victims of 
domestic violence and are a true blessing to my constituents in my 
community. It is my hope that we use Domestic Violence Awareness Month 
to recommit ourselves to fighting the scourge of violence against women 
and men.
  We've had some accomplishments over the decades on this issue, but 
challenges still remain. Around the world, nearly one in three women 
has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. 
Here in the United States, as many as one in three American women 
reports being physically or sexually abused by a husband or a boyfriend 
at least once in her life. Children who see or experience domestic 
violence have a much greater chance to become either victims or 
perpetrators as adults. They're also more likely to attempt suicide, 
use drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage 
prostitution, and commit other crimes.
  Beyond the cost to children, domestic violence affects the community 
with as many as half of the domestic violence victims reporting a loss 
of a job at least in part due to domestic violence, so cuts to domestic 
violence programs should not even be on the table. Women make up 70 
percent of the deaths--mind you, deaths--caused by intimate partner 
violence, and services for abused heterosexual men and for those in the 
LGBT communities are clearly nonexistent.
  Although this is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we can't just 
work on this during October. We must remember that, for men, women and 
children who are experiencing, or who have experienced, domestic 
violence, every day must be a day of awareness as well as a day free 
from emotional badgering, physical assaults, harassment, stalking, and 
every other violent behavior which constitutes domestic violence.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the gentlelady from California.
  How much time do we have remaining, Mr. Speaker?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gibbs). The gentleman has 19 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Thank you very much.
  At this time, I yield to another Californian, the Honorable Jim 
Costa.
  Mr. COSTA. Thank you, Congressman Al Green and Judge Ted Poe, for 
organizing this Special Order to recognize the National Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month.
  While I think I speak on behalf of all of us that we wish such a 
month were not necessary to commemorate, it is important that we 
educate not only our colleagues but Americans on the tremendous 
challenges and difficulties facing Americans who are dealing every day 
with domestic violence. Today, all of us stand up for the victims of 
those heinous crimes, victims who too often suffer under the shadows.
  In Fresno just last week, I visited Central California Legal Services 
to announce a $500,000 grant that is to focus on victims of domestic 
violence in the San Joaquin Valley. What I saw and what I heard is, 
sadly, a reminder of what continues to occur throughout the country as 
I've worked with these folks for many years. There is an added burden 
today with the tough economic times that we're living in that has 
strained families because unemployment is higher than it should be. 
Unstable economic conditions oftentimes mean higher stress and more 
incidences of domestic violence.
  At the same time, we are reducing the kind of support at the Federal 
and State levels to provide for organizations that help these victims 
of crime. While more women and men and children suffer from domestic 
violence, less support remains to help them, so Congressman Judge Ted 
Poe and I founded the Victims' Rights Caucus in 2006 to be a bipartisan 
voice for victims' rights in Congress.

                              {time}  1730

  One of the major initiatives that the caucus works on is the 
protection of the Violence Against Women Act, otherwise known as the V-
A-W-A, VAWA. It was established in 1994 to grant funds for programs to 
State and local and Indian tribal governments.
  Today this fund seeks to encourage the collaboration among law 
enforcement, judicial personnel, and public-private service providers 
for the victims of domestic and sexual violence.
  Another goal of this fund is to increase public awareness of the 
domestic violence and address the needs of these folks who are victims 
of sexual and domestic violence that occurs within our communities.
  This fund has been a source of much resource, because it's been able 
to provide support for more victims to report domestic violence to the 
police, often one of the most difficult cases that our local law 
enforcement agencies will tell you that they deal with on a daily 
basis.
  They also provide monies for the rate of nonfatal domestic violence, 
and this has helped decrease violence in many areas across the country. 
It also has reduced the amount of acts of crime of killing an intimate 
partner. Last year the decrease was 24 percent. Oftentimes, sadly, 
these domestic violence cases result in death.
  Although much progress has been made, obviously much more needs to be

[[Page 16115]]

done. Crime victims, it's been said before, but I'll say it again, are 
our mothers. They're our fathers. They're our sisters. They're our 
brothers. They're our friends and they are our neighbors. They are 
people that we all know of. They deserve our support. They deserve the 
vital services to help them cope during these horrific time periods 
within their lives.
  As National Domestic Violence Month continues, let us all do 
everything we can to encourage folks to attend events, to recognize and 
honor those who are at the vanguard of trying to protect those who are 
victims of violence: those good people who serve them, who are out 
working in this area, like the Central California Legal Services 
foundation; those who are in law enforcement; those who are in our 
justice system; those who are in every way working in our communities 
to help those victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
  Only through education and awareness will our communities be able to 
ultimately put an end to this domestic scourge and respond more 
effectively to those victims.
  I want to thank Congressman Green again for his efforts, and 
Congressman Poe and my other colleagues who have spoken so well today. 
Today's Special Order, let it be a call for all of us to action, to 
continue advancing the rights of victims across the Nation and to 
protect the Violence Against Women Act.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his words.
  I now yield to the gentlelady from Texas, who is a colleague, and we 
share a common boundary in the State of Texas--our districts are 
adjacent to each other--the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Let me thank Congressman Al Green and 
Congressman Poe for convening us today on such a very important topic 
that includes the issue of domestic violence in this Domestic Violence 
Awareness Month.
  As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, it's been my 
privilege, sadly, however, to have worked on the Violence Against Women 
Act for a very long time and be an original cosponsor and author of the 
reauthorization of that bill some years ago.
  My initial premise on this day that we express our concern is that 
the laws need to be stronger. I simply want to acknowledge, as we have 
worked on these issues, that domestic violence has not decreased in 
spite of the hardworking advocacy groups and places of refuge for the 
women in our community.
  I want to acknowledge the Houston Area Women's Center, of which I 
served as a member of the board for a number of years, and the great 
work that they do, along with many other organizations in the Houston 
area that are refuges for women.
  But let me cite these numbers to you:
  The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 85 percent of all 
domestic violence victims are women. I do want to acknowledge that men 
suffer domestic violence as well. We are sympathetic and want to 
include them in fighting against this dastardly deed.
  It is disturbing that every 9 seconds a woman in the United States is 
assaulted or beaten. More often than not, she knows her abuser. The 
numbers are alarming.
  Between 2000 and 2005, about 63 percent of nonfatal intimate partner 
victimization against women occurred at home, 9.4 percent of these 
attacks were near home, and 11.1 percent of the abuse occurred at a 
friend's or neighbor's home. The aggressors were often intimate 
partners, relatives, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers.
  Every year, nearly 5.3 million women over the age of 18 will be 
victims of domestic violence. And according to the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, this violence will result in nearly 2 million 
injuries and 1,300 deaths.
  In the State of Texas, for example, at least 74 percent of Texans 
know someone who has experienced some form of physical, sexual, or 
verbal abuse, yet these incidents remain underreported because there is 
great fear.
  According to the Houston Area Women's Center, which, as I indicated, 
I served as a member of the board, 142 women were murdered in Texas by 
an abusive partner. The youngest of these victims were only 17 years 
old and the oldest was 78. In 2007, the center served over 2,800 
survivors of domestic violence and took almost 39,000 calls.
  As I conclude, I want to just give this brief story of a recent 17-
hour attack that occurred in Houston, which was noted as one of the 
worst local domestic abuse cases ever. A man's tortured wife follows 
years of abuse, and this lady never reported it because of a fear of 
the impact or the abuse or the violence against her four children. 
While this horrific act was taking place, it was occurring while her 1-
year-old daughter was in another room.
  This 33-year-old woman was violated by this vicious man with a long 
record of absolute insanity and violence using a hairspray can and a 
lighter match and taking a match with that hairspray to her breasts and 
her genitals. Right now I stand on this floor in absolute outrage. 
Sheriff Adrian Garcia likened the suspect to an animal and that he is--
rabid dog.
  The terrible part of this is that he is charged with assault to a 
relative. I, frankly, want him to be charged with a much more heinous 
act because--in many instances when you are charged with this 
particular action, which the legislature probably thought that these 
were relatives against relatives, but this was a heinous act--this 
gentleman should never see the light of day. And there are actors like 
this around the Nation--and around the world, by the way, because there 
is that kind of violence around the world--that should never see the 
light of day.
  As we continue to work on this, I will continue to advocate funding, 
as I provided funding for our local agencies in Houston. I will 
continue to champion stronger laws to prevent, if I can, in terms of 
the stronger laws and intervention, so that women can have the strength 
to go to places like the Houston Area Women's Center and to save them 
from this heinous and dastardly act. This woman will be mutilated for 
life and will have to have reconstructive surgery--again, a can of 
hairspray and a lighter match for 17 hours while her 1-year-old child 
remained in the room.
  Let me thank, again, our colleagues for allowing us to come to the 
floor and, again, let me make a commitment to all of the women out 
there and those in Houston and Texas that I will never step away from 
fighting for you not to suffer this indignity. Please, leave the home 
and go to a refuge like the Houston Area Women's Center and other 
places to save your life.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the lady.
  I now yield to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Speier). I would 
also add that this is a colleague who served with me on Financial 
Services, and I found that she has been a strong advocate for the 
rights of women.

                              {time}  1740

  Ms. SPEIER. I thank my colleague, and thank the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Al Green) for hosting this Special Order on domestic violence, and 
I thank Congressman Poe for his participation as well.
  Imagine you were beaten at the hands of your boyfriend or husband, 
maybe in front of your child. Imagine that before you were able to call 
the police, your attacker fled. But he doesn't get far before the 
police catch him and throw him in jail. But days later he is set free, 
not on bail but with a clean record. And he's angry. More so because he 
first beat you, and now he wants to get revenge because you caused him 
to be arrested. No, this isn't a scene from a horror movie. It is, 
instead, a dose of reality from Topeka, Kansas, where the city council 
voted earlier this month to repeal the city law against misdemeanor 
domestic battery.
  The council claimed that budget woes required this act of public 
policy cowardice. By repealing this law, Topeka sent a clear message to 
the women: your safety is not a priority; we will not protect you if 
you are victimized; we will not hold your spouse,

[[Page 16116]]

former spouse, boyfriend, or live-in accountable if they assault you. 
You are on your own.
  And this happened in a city where a domestic violence murder occurs 
every 10 days; a domestic violence incident occurs every 22 minutes; 
and a person is--or I should say was--charged with domestic violence 
every 41 minutes. But no more in Topeka, Kansas.
  These are tough times for local and State governments. Everyone is 
being asked to do more with less. Difficult choices must be made. But 
let me say this without hesitation: the choices made during difficult 
times reflect who we are as Americans, who we are as human beings, and 
our mutual respect for the law. The Topeka decision is another example 
of how women in this country are becoming second-class citizens, or 
chattel, or even less.
  We shun our global neighbors who allow violence to openly occur 
without repercussions. Today, as we recognize Domestic Violence 
Awareness Month and the more than 1 million victims who are terrorized 
every year, I urge each and every State and locality in our great 
country to take a stand against what just occurred in Topeka, Kansas. 
Shame on Topeka, Kansas. Shame on them for not recognizing one of the 
most grievous acts that occurs in a local community. Domestic violence 
is one of the most reported incidents and one of the ones that police, 
frankly, are the more concerned about going out to because more often 
than not there is violence associated with it.
  For the sake of the nearly 16 million children who are exposed to 
domestic violence each year, and the women who are abused every 9 
seconds, we must recommit ourselves to supporting domestic violence 
victims.
  Speaking of tough times, domestic violence shelters know a thing or 
two about pinching pennies. Three-quarters of the shelters nationally 
report losing money from government sources since the recession. And as 
their belts are tightened, the demands for their services have only 
increased. For the third straight year, 80 percent of shelters 
nationwide are reporting an increase in domestic violence cases.
  I was always struck when I was in the State legislature that there 
were three times as many animal shelters as there were battered women 
shelters. It says volumes about where our priorities are in this 
country.
  Three out of four shelters attributed the rise in violence to 
financial issues. Almost half said that those issues included job loss, 
and 42 percent cited the loss of a house or car. More than half of the 
shelters also reported that domestic abuse is more violent than it was 
before the financial crash. Studies shows that abuse is three times as 
likely to occur when a couple experiences financial strain. Take note: 
A 5-year study reveals that when a man experienced two or more periods 
of unemployment, he was almost three times as likely to abuse his 
female partner.
  The irony with Topeka's decision is that domestic violence is 
expensive to the communities where it is more prevalent, and I'm not 
talking about the cost of prosecutions. I'm talking about the $8 
billion to $10 billion in lost productivity, medical bills, and other 
costs. In fact, between one-quarter to one-half of domestic violence 
victims report that they lost a job at least in part due to domestic 
violence. And if we do not prevent these crimes and penalize those who 
commit them, we will pay tenfold in the years to come. Studies show 
that 60 percent of the nearly 16 million children who witness domestic 
abuse every year mimic it later in their lives.
  We have our work cut out for us, but one thing that defines our 
country is the notion that anyone who abuses another human being, woman 
or man, will be brought to justice. When Topeka, Kansas, decriminalized 
domestic violence earlier this month, we took a huge and unacceptable 
step backwards. In honor of the victims who have lost their lives to 
domestic violence and those who live in fear every day, let us recommit 
ourselves today to their safety.
  I thank you again, Mr. Green.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank the lady, especially for citing the 
statistical information. It is important for our Nation and our country 
to understand that these are real people who are being harmed and that 
this is not something that occurs in some segments of society. This 
crosses all lines--economic lines, gender lines, political lines--and 
it's up to us to have bipartisan efforts to end this.
  I'm honored that my friend, Mr. Poe, has joined us today, as this has 
been a bipartisan effort. But we've got to get this message back to the 
communities because indifference is what allows this to continue to a 
certain extent. No one should be indifferent. Everybody has a duty to 
report it, everybody has a duty to condemn it. And if we do this, then 
we can make every person who performs an act of violence persona non 
grata in our communities.
  I want to thank the Speaker for the time. One hour is never enough to 
cover all that we should cover, but I'm grateful to the leadership for 
giving us the 1 hour that we've had.

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