[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5745]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, April is Sexual Assault Awareness and 
Prevention Month, and it is an important reminder of the ongoing 
problem of sexual assault in our nation.
  The Violence Against Women Act, VAWA, which first passed in 1994, has 
had an astounding impact on reducing sexual and domestic assault in our 
country. The annual incidence of domestic violence has dropped more 
than 50 percent since VAWA became law. This groundbreaking bipartisan 
legislation included many provisions critical to supporting and 
improving services for all victims of sexual assault and ensuring that 
law enforcement has the tools it needs to find and prosecute 
perpetrators. I was proud to author the Leahy-Crapo Violence Against 
Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, which was signed into law by 
President Obama last year.
  The Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Act built upon past successes 
and expanded its protections to more inclusive to the victims most at 
risk of domestic violence and sexual assault, including LGBT, Native 
American, and immigrant victims. One aspect of this important effort 
that did not receive much attention is how it increased focus on sexual 
assault prevention, enforcement, and services to encourage reporting. 
It also increased support for programs that improve law enforcement and 
forensic responses to sexual assault and to address backlogs of 
untested rape kits. These improvements, along with the many others made 
in the reauthorization, will continue to advance the national response 
to sexual assault.
  Our bipartisan effort last year is making lives better today, but 
there is much more we must do. The National Network to End Domestic 
Violence, in their annual National Domestic Violence Counts Census, 
found that every day 9,000 service requests go unmet because of a lack 
of resources. This is not acceptable. Every day tens of thousands of 
victims turn to domestic and sexual violence services providers for 
support through emergency safe shelters, legal assistance, and child 
support groups, and we must do all we can to ensure these needs are 
met.
  We cannot stop by simply supporting a strong VAWA law. That is why I 
was proud to support the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which 
included historic reforms to sexual assault prevention and response 
within the military. I was also heartened last month when the Senate 
came together to pass the Victims Protection Act of 2014 by a vote of 
97 to 0. This legislation takes even greater steps to encourage 
military servicemembers to come forward and report sexual assault. As I 
have said many times, a victim, is a victim, is a victim. We must 
protect all victims, including our Nation's service men and women, and 
that means working to decrease the fear of stigma or inaction that can 
often deter reporting.
  Following the reauthorization of VAWA, the passage of the NDAA, and 
the Victims Protection Act, I hope the Senate will soon approve the 
bipartisan Justice for All Act reauthorization that I authored with 
Senator John Cornyn. I was proud to author the original legislation, 
and our reauthorization includes many critical provisions for victims. 
Importantly, our bill reauthorizes the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant 
Program, which seeks to reduce the backlog of untested rape kits and 
other DNA evidence. This program is named after Debbie Smith, who 
waited years after being attacked before her rape kit was tested and 
the perpetrator was caught. Every Senate Democrat has cleared the way 
for passage the bipartisan Justice For All Act reauthorization, and I 
hope Senate Republicans will act quickly so we can pass this measure 
that means so much to rape survivors and all victims of crime.
  I applaud the tireless work of the many advocates who work on behalf 
of victims each day and thank them for their dedication to this 
critical problem. Together we have taken significant steps to ensure 
victims of sexual assault have access to the services they need to 
rebuild their lives, that law enforcement have the tools they need to 
prosecute those who commit these horrific crimes, and to reduce future 
incidences of sexual assault through education and prevention efforts. 
Last year, the Senate stood up for the survivors of rape by passing the 
Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. Today, as we 
mark Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month, I hope Senate 
Republicans will join Senate Democrats to stand with them again by 
passing the Leahy-Cornyn Justice For All Act.

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