| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today joined a bipartisan
group of members of Congress and the National Task Force to End Sexual
and Domestic Violence Against Women in calling for the reauthorization
of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA funds critical programs
to assist victims of domestic abuse. Schakowsky and others called on Congress
to pass H.R. 1248, the Violence Against Women Act of 1999, legislation
that would strengthen and expand the current law. If Congress fails
to act on VAWA by the end of this month, the law will expire.
Schakowsky
is the author of H.R. 3083 legislation that would expand protection for
battered immigrant women and H.R. 1352, a bill that would provide transitional
housing for victims of domestic abuse.
Below
is Schakowsky’s statement.
“In
1994, with the historic passage of the Violence Against Women Act, Congress
sent a clear message to this nation that violence against women is not
just wrong, it’s a crime.
“Since
then, VAWA ’94 has created programs that have improved the lives of millions
of women and children. These programs support the work of prosecutors,
law enforcement officials, victim advocates, and health and social service
professionals who are responding to the problems of violence against women
in communities throughout this country.
“Domestic
violence is an economic and health crisis for this nation. It harms
not only men and women, but also the lives of children who witness violence
in their homes or experience violence themselves. Every 15 seconds,
someone in our country is battered. Every day, four women die in
this country as a result of domestic violence.
“If
we don’t reauthorize VAWA now, victims of domestic violence and sexual
assault, including immigrant women, older women, women with disabilities
and women of color, will suffer greatly.
“The
clock is ticking. These critical programs expire in less than a month.
Women, children and families across this nation deserve to feel safe in
their homes and in their communities and they are waiting for us to reauthorize
VAWA. We need to do it and we need to do it now.” |
