Mikulski Speaks Out on Senate Floor for Reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act to Fight Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Senator Mikulski Helped Pass Legislation in 1994 Which Has Helped Millions of Women; Urges Senate to Pass Bipartisan Reauthorization
 

April 26, 2012

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today spoke on the Senate floor to urge the Senate to reauthorize the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which helps protect women and families from domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. As Chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Mikulski puts funds in the federal checkbook to support the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women and programs authorized through VAWA, which she helped pass into law.  

"This bill meets a compelling human need; it helps families, it helps police officers and it helps our communities. We need to empower victims and help prevent domestic violence and violence against women, whether it's a stranger who perpetrates danger and despicable acts, or in their own home," Senator Mikulski said. "Ever since 1994, we have reauthorized this legislation, looking at new needs, new technology and new creative ways of responding to these needs for prevention, intervention and prosecution. We must pass this legislation that's been refreshed and reformed, and brings new ideas and new approaches. I'm proud to put funds in the federal checkbook for these important programs and am here to fight to refresh the federal law book."  

As a cosponsor of the 2011 VAWA Reauthorization Act, Chairwoman Mikulski has continued to fight against domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, crimes of epidemic proportions that are exacting terrible costs on individual lives and our communities. Twenty-five percent of U.S. women report that they have been physically assaulted by an intimate partner during their lifetimes, 1 in 6 have been the victims of attempted or completed rape, and the cost of domestic violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year.  

Last week, Senator Mikulski announced that her FY2013 CJS Appropriations bill included $413 million in the federal checkbook to support programs authorized through VAWA. The bill funds multiple competitive and formula grant programs that support training for police officers and prosecutors; state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions; rape prevention programs; national domestic violence hotlines; battered women's shelters and transitional housing support services; help for teens and young adults caught in abusive relationships; victims of child abuse; and funding for counselors of rape victims during trials.  

Senator Mikulski's remarks, as delivered, follow:  

"I'm here to be a strong supporter for the Violence Against Women Act. I hope that this bill passes, and I hope that this bill passes today.  

"This bill was first passed in 1994 under the leadership of our Vice President, then-Senator Joe Biden – well-known for a strong, muscular, robust approach to law enforcement.  

"And what he saw was that so many of the victims of crime were women, and that they were victims both on the streets and in their neighborhoods, as well as in their own homes where they were battered and abused.  

"Then, they found that when they came to the judicial system, that they were battered again because they were ignored and had no one to stick up for them. They were always told, 'oh, it's your fault. What are you doing?'  

"Joe Biden changed the law, and we worked on a bipartisan basis. Ever since 1994, we have continually reauthorized this legislation, looking at new needs, new technology, and new creative ways of responding to these needs for prevention, intervention and even prosecution.  

"What we want to do today is pass this legislation that's been refreshed, reformed and also brings some new approaches to this.  

"The Chairman of the Committee has done an outstanding job, and is to be commended.  

"The Violence Against Women Act authorizes two federal programs for domestic and sexual violence in our communities: The Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services.           

"The STOP grants it the largest national grant program in the Justice Department. Roughly half of all Violence Against Woman Act funds go to these STOP grants, and they go to every community.  

"And what is it that they do? They coordinate community approaches to end violence and sexual assault. They fund victim's services like shelters and a toll-free crisis hotline. They also fund legal assistance to victims to be able to get court orders to be able to protect themselves from the abuser or from the stalker.  

"It also includes training for police officers, prosecutors and judges so that they know how to do a good job.  

"It includes grants for victims of child abuse, something that I'm very familiar with having been a child abuse social worker. And it includes important services in terms of rape prevention programs.  

"This is a great bill, and it meets a compelling human need. Since the original Biden legislation, over one million women have called that hotline who were desperate, who were fearful for their lives. And when they called that number, they didn't get a busy signal, they didn't get hung up on, they got help. And I know that it saved lives.  

"One in four women will be victims of domestic violence during her lifetime; one in four. Sixteen million children are exposed to domestic violence. And also one in six women has experienced attempted or completed rape. And even men now are the subject of rape. Twenty-five percent of rape crisis centers have waiting lists for advocacy groups. And I want to talk about that in more detail.  

"Two million victims of physical and sexual violence each year, 20,000 in Maryland. On average, 1,000 female victims are killed by their abusers. One-third of all female homicides are domestic violence.  

"These are numbers and statistics, but they also represent real people. We help over 70,000 victims every day, 70,000 victims every day through hotlines and services and shelters. Regrettably, there is a waiting list. We need to pass this legislation because it gives us the authorization to be able to do so. It meets these compelling human needs to be able to protect people.  

"In my own state, it's had enormous positive consequences. There's something that was developed through the Department of Justice called the lethality index. It means that when a police officer goes into a home, he or she has to assess how dangerous it is. Do you yank the kids out? Or take the abuser out and put them in jail? Or do you call in a social worker to try to intervene, give the family more time, give the family counseling so that we can get people off the ledge, out of a violent situation and work on the long path for family stability?  

"Well, my local law enforcement police officers tell me this lethality checklist has been a tremendous tool to being able to assess the level of violence when they are in that home. They know when people are in danger and when they have to get them out right that minute. They also know when there's opportunity for other intervention, again to be able to help the family.  

"This helps families. It helps police officers. And it helps our communities. We need to empower victims to be able to help themselves by providing help in these abusive relationships.  

"Studies show that victims who use community-based domestic violence services when they are available really are almost never victims of murder or attempted murder. That's a powerful line. If we had this intervention and prevention, we could not only reduce violence, but we could reduce homicides as well.  

"We need to pass this bill, because it is crucial to our families, to our communities, and it shows the country that we are serious about governing and keeping legislation going.  

"I want to also comment on some of the important programs and to talk a little bit about my role.  

"I'm an appropriator. And in fact, I'll leave shortly to go to a markup. But I have moved the Commerce, Justice, Science spending bill, and I worked so closely with the Gentle lady from Texas, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, a very strong advocate in the interest and protection of women, both here and around the world.  

"Working on a bipartisan basis in this year's bill, we put money in the federal checkbook for those STOP grants, for those sexual assault services, for those transitional housing grants, and also for other help in our communities.  

"We also took a serious look at the whole issue of forensics. Forensics is the subject of much debate and, unfortunately, much backlog. In my bill, in the Commerce, Justice, Science bill, we funded overall in the Department of Justice money to deal with forensic backlogs, and paid particular attention to something called the Debbie Smith Act.  

"Now, let me just say this. There are two different bills. There's the Violence Against Women Act, and there's the Debbie Smith Act. The Debbie Act was passed because of a woman named Debbie Smith who was subjected to the most vile, repugnant, despicable acts of violence against her.  

"What we do working here, is that we've actually put money in the federal checkbook to reduce the backlog of D.N.A. evidence. It ensure that a high percentage of the funds also go to labs to be able to deal with samples from crime scenes, the databases and others.  

"If we do debate this rape kit issue at a later time, I want to thank Senator Leahy for his advocacy and Senator Cornyn for his sensitivity and wanting to solve the problem. I believe that if we take a minute and keep in our mind and as our legislative goal that we work together, not who gets credit, but who gets help. It's not about who gets credit, it's about who gets help. We want to be able to help those relationship victims, have solace and consolation that their government is on their side, to make sure that we have the right person and have the right prosecution to get the right conviction. And right now there is a backlog.  

"When Justice gives out their money for forensics, it doesn't always go on these issues. We can direct it; we can do a good job. Let's really come together, let's iron out our parliamentary differences so we can pass this very important Violence Against Women Act. I can take what I've done to put money in the federal checkbook, let's refresh the federal law book, and let's most of all keep our eyes on what we want to do.

"We want to be able to prevent domestic violence and violence against women, whether it's a stranger who perpetrates danger and despicable acts or in their own home.  

"Prevention, intervention, training of police officers, judges and courts and the right prosecutions."