[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6900]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           REAUTHORIZATION OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Today, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4970, the partisan 
reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
  Since 1994, the Violence Against Women Act has been a critical tool 
for protecting women and children who are victims of domestic abuse, 
and Congress has twice made necessary bipartisan improvements in the 
law.
  As a cochairman of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, I know 
that we have learned a great deal from law enforcement and victim 
advocate groups since we last reauthorized the Violence Against Women 
Act in 2005. Unfortunately, this bill rolls back comprehensive 
protections for all vulnerable populations rather than reflect on the 
lessons we've learned.
  We should be listening to the victims' rights advocate groups and our 
local law enforcement agencies, which know and deal daily with the 
impacts on people's lives who are the victims of crime. Therefore, we 
ought to pass the bipartisan Senate reauthorization bill and end this 
partisan charade.

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