[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13342]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the 
importance of passing the Violence Against Women Act, and reauthorizing 
this critical funding for survivors of domestic violence. We have heard 
about the protections the Senate version offers that the House does 
not, to women on college campuses, to women on tribal lands, to LGBT 
victims, and to immigrants. It is important to remember all of the 
other programs supported by this important legislation.
  On this day, when preventive health care finally becomes available to 
47 million women, including free domestic violence screening and 
counseling, it is worth taking a look at how domestic violence impacts 
healthcare for women and families in this country.
  According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, the average 
cost of health care services for women is more than twice the average 
cost for men, and this is largely due to the costs and impact of 
domestic violence.
  The CDC estimates the direct health care costs associated with 
domestic violence to be around $4.1 billion every year. And we know 
this is a conservative estimate, because many victims never come 
forward.
  But we have a proven tool in this fight, and that is the protections 
in the Violence Against Women Act. Since the bill first went into 
effect in 1994, reporting has increased by 51 percent according to the 
Department of Justice. The FBI reports that the number of women killed 
by an intimate partner has decreased by 34 percent. And VAWA saved 
$12.6 billion in its first 7 years alone.
  It is not just that women are safer because of VAWA, our economy also 
improves when domestic violence is successfully prevented, because 
fewer women are going to the emergency rooms, missing work, or deciding 
they cannot care for their children.
  I have had a chance to visit several crisis centers in New Hampshire 
who benefit directly from VAWA funding. Most recently, I visited the 
Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention in Keene, and had a chance to 
speak with caseworkers and survivors. I spoke with two women who told 
me that when they decided it was time to leave their abuser, they had 
no place else to go.
  And I asked them, ``What would have happened if this center wasn't 
here?''
  ``My husband would have killed me,'' replied one woman.
  This is why we need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. 
This is about women who are in danger, and desperately need our help.
  I also had a chance to meet some children who were staying at the 
center. And I would like to take a moment to talk about how important 
this bill is for them, both children who witness domestic violence, or 
are victims themselves.
  Centers all over New Hampshire and the United States have child 
advocacy programs that offer support groups for children. Dawn Reams, 
Director of the Bridges Crisis Center in Nashua, NH, described that 
they have a full-time child advocate who receives funding from VAWA. We 
know that children are particularly vulnerable and ill-equipped to deal 
with trauma.
  And this trauma affects them for their entire lives. A study by the 
World Health Organization found that children raised in households 
where domestic violence occurred are more likely to have behavioral 
problems, drop out of school early, and experience juvenile 
delinquency. A child who witnesses domestic violence between his or her 
parents is more likely to view violence as an acceptable method of 
conflict resolution. Boys who witness domestic violence are more likely 
to become abusers, and girls who witness domestic violence are more 
likely to become victims of domestic violence as adults.
  The advocate at Bridges does her best to prevent this cycle by 
providing safety planning for the children, teaching them that they can 
live a life free of violence. There is free preventive care for 
children.
  She told the story of one young boy, Brian, who was nervous about 
returning to school. He was supposed to bring with him a story about 
something fun he had done over the summer. Brian was staying at Bridges 
with his mother, and it had not been a fun summer. So the child 
advocate organized a barbeque in a park across the street from the 
crisis center.
  This is the type of healing we need more of, and we can start by 
reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. I urge all of my 
colleagues in the House to pass the Senate VAWA, for women, for 
children, for all survivors and for those that have not yet come 
forward.

                          ____________________