Today, U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) helped lead a bipartisan coalition of House Members in speaking out against domestic violence in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Murphy joined Members on the House floor this afternoon in speaking on this important issue, demanding that Congress act in a bipartisan manner to fight back against this plague on our country. One out of every three women will be the victim of domestic violence in their lifetime, and four women are murdered by their intimate partner every day in the United States.  Click here to view Rep. Murphy's floor speech on Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"We as a society have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us.  A woman is battered every 15 seconds in our country.  Behind this harrowing statistics is a sister, a mother, an ‘A’ student.  I was proud to call on my colleagues to stand up against this unacceptable violence.  Domestic violence is not a partisan issue and is not just a women's issue – it is a family issue, a community issue, an economic issue, and a moral issue. I look forward to working together with my colleagues – both male and female, Republican and Democrat –  to continue to fund important programs that help provide assistance and shelter to the victims of domestic violence, resources to law enforcement to better address these issues on the ground, and investments in programs that can break the vicious cycle of domestic violence in our communities."

Earlier in the day, Congressman Murphy organized Members to stand in solidarity to bring attention to the issue of domestic violence.  Joining the Members of Congress was Jill Borowicz, CEO of SafeSpace, a local organization that serves victims of domestic violence.