[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5187]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             SEXUAL ASSAULT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Reed) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. REED. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that has 
impacted millions of Americans from coast to coast, north to south, 
also an issue that has impacted my family personally. Mr. Speaker, I 
care deeply about the survivors of sexual assault and want to ensure 
that their voices are heard.
  Every 2 minutes, Mr. Speaker, an American is sexually assaulted. That 
is 200,000 of our fellow American citizens that are impacted by this 
horrendous crime. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, less than half of those victims 
will report their attack to law enforcement, making sexual assault one 
of the most underreported crimes in America.

                              {time}  1045

  That is why I am proud to stand with my colleague from California, 
Jackie Speier, to introduce a resolution to recognize April as Sexual 
Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
  As Members of Congress, we are in a unique position to raise 
awareness and speak out on behalf of sexual assault survivors. We must 
unite. When one in five women will be raped in her lifetime, we cannot 
afford to stand silent on this issue.
  It is only right, Mr. Speaker, that we say enough is enough with 
sexual assault in America. Enough is enough to no longer speak about 
this issue because it is something that is difficult to speak publicly 
about.
  That is why I am an ardent and active supporter of the NO MORE 
Campaign. The NO MORE Campaign has taken it upon itself to unite across 
the country, to stand in one voice, and many of us across America have 
seen the commercials on our TVs to say no more to sexual assault.
  No more can we put up with excuses like: ``She deserved it.'' ``She 
was drunk.'' ``Of course she got what she was looking for.'' No more 
can we say: ``Well, that is what boys do. That is what young men do.''
  We need to stand together as American citizens, men and women in this 
Chamber, to say: No more to sexual assault. It is unacceptable for us 
to stand silent any longer.
  I ask my colleagues to join us in the effort to recognize April as 
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and join us in one voice 
to send a clear message across America to say: No more.

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