[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16503]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. JOYCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 
As a former prosecutor, I believe we should do everything in our power 
to raise the awareness of domestic violence and to protect and empower 
the victims of these crimes.
  In the seven counties I represent in northeast Ohio, over 1,500 
people sought shelter last year to escape domestic violence. Sadly, 
some of them were children.
  For these women and children, it is crucial that we in Congress pass 
laws to protect them. That is why I was one of the first supporters of 
the Violence Against Women Act earlier this year. It is a bill that 
provides critical services for victims of violence and provides law 
enforcement officials the resources to better protect and assist them.
  Together we must stand up against domestic violence and enforce a 
zero tolerance policy both here in Washington and at home in our 
communities.
  I thank my colleagues for joining me in this bipartisan effort to 
raise the awareness of this important issue.

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