[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14394]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 20th 
anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.
  Our Nation has certainly come a long way in advancing the rights of 
women. In fact, just a few weeks ago, our country celebrated Women's 
Equality Day, a day commemorating the passage of the 19th Amendment to 
the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Women, united 
together against incredible odds, have fought for the right to 
participate in our democratic process. And, now, 94 year later, our 
fight for our dignity continues in our own homes--the war being waged 
against domestic violence. The Violence Against Women Act embodies that 
fight against women being brutalized by those who claim to love us. The 
Violence Against Women Act provides the resources for women to access 
police protection, legal services, and social services.
  The passage and reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act was 
a victory for our entire country--a victory for Native American women 
who had been raped and brutalized on tribal lands with impunity, a 
victory for LGBTQ victims whose agony was ignored because of their 
gender identity, a victory for young women in college whose 
institutions were derelict in their response to ``boys just being 
boys,'' and a victory for children whose emotional wounds had scabbed 
over with no healing balm.
  We can take comfort knowing that the Violence Against Women Act is 
making a true difference in the lives of countless women across the 
country. It has helped reduce domestic violence by shifting the way our 
culture responds to it. For instance, our Services-Training-Officers-
Prosecutors, or STOP, grant program provides vital funding to local 
communities, giving them the tools they need to strengthen the States' 
criminal justice system response for victims.
  And the Violence Against Women Act isn't just socially responsible, 
it is fiscally responsible, as well. In its first
6 years alone, the Violence Against Women Act saved taxpayers at least 
$12.6 billion in net averted social costs. A recent study found that 
civil protection orders saved one State, Kentucky, on average $85 
million in a single year.
  The road to this victory wasn't traveled alone. As I look around, I 
see many of those who stood with me in the face of partisan opposition 
and obstruction. I see the faces of friends and champions like 
Representative Donna Edwards, Representative Tom Cole, Representative 
Louise Slaughter, Representative John Conyers, and Leader Nancy Pelosi. 
But I don't want to just talk about Members of this body but talk about 
those who walk outside these Halls, champions like President Obama, 
Vice President Joe Biden, President and Secretary Clinton, Kim Gandy 
from the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and all those 
Native American tribes who showed up to stand for the reauthorization.
  As I stand here remembering those who have walked with us, I am 
reminded of my very own home district of Milwaukee. Our community will, 
once again, host the annual Brides Walk sponsored by the UMOS Latina 
Resource Center. This walk commemorates a Dominican American woman who 
was brutally murdered by her jealous ex-boyfriend in New Jersey on her 
wedding day. This beautiful bride was shot dead in her wedding dress. 
This event, the Brides Walk, was inspired by a staunch advocate for 
women's rights, Josie Ashton, who raised awareness about domestic 
violence by walking from New Jersey to Florida wearing her own wedding 
dress and spending the night sleeping at shelters from New Jersey to 
Florida to elucidate the problems and challenges of domestic violence, 
and remind us that sometimes so-called love can turn to abuse.
  This event, the Brides Walk in Milwaukee, will be celebrated by women 
donning wedding gowns and walking through the streets of Milwaukee 
speaking against domestic violence. They will be accompanied by brave 
men who walk by their sides. And so I urge people in Milwaukee to join 
the March Against Domestic Violence in Milwaukee and to use social 
media to bring attention to this pressing issue.

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