The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S5968-S5969 on Aug. 2, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the importance of passing the Violence Against Women Act, and reauthorizing this critical funding for survivors of domestic violence. We have heard about the protections the Senate version offers that the House does not, to women on college campuses, to women on tribal lands, to LGBT victims, and to immigrants. It is important to remember all of the other programs supported by this important legislation.
On this day, when preventive health care finally becomes available to 47 million women, including free domestic violence screening and counseling, it is worth taking a look at how domestic violence impacts healthcare for women and families in this country.
According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, the average cost of health care services for women is more than twice the average cost for men, and this is largely due to the costs and impact of domestic violence.
The CDC estimates the direct health care costs associated with domestic violence to be around $4.1 billion every year. And we know this is a conservative estimate, because many victims never come forward.
But we have a proven tool in this fight, and that is the protections in the Violence Against Women Act. Since the bill first went into effect in 1994, reporting has increased by 51 percent according to the Department of Justice. The FBI reports that the number of women killed by an intimate partner has decreased by 34 percent. And VAWA saved
$12.6 billion in its first 7 years alone.
It is not just that women are safer because of VAWA, our economy also improves when domestic violence is successfully prevented, because fewer women are going to the emergency rooms, missing work, or deciding they cannot care for their children.
I have had a chance to visit several crisis centers in New Hampshire who benefit directly from VAWA funding. Most recently, I visited the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention in Keene, and had a chance to speak with caseworkers and survivors. I spoke with two women who told me that when they decided it was time to leave their abuser, they had no place else to go.
And I asked them, ``What would have happened if this center wasn't here?''
``My husband would have killed me,'' replied one woman.
This is why we need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. This is about women who are in danger, and desperately need our help.
I also had a chance to meet some children who were staying at the center. And I would like to take a moment to talk about how important this bill is for them, both children who witness domestic violence, or are victims themselves.
Centers all over New Hampshire and the United States have child advocacy programs that offer support groups for children. Dawn Reams, Director of the Bridges Crisis Center in Nashua, NH, described that they have a full-time child advocate who receives funding from VAWA. We know that children are particularly vulnerable and ill-equipped to deal with trauma.
And this trauma affects them for their entire lives. A study by the World Health Organization found that children raised in households where domestic violence occurred are more likely to have behavioral problems, drop out of school early, and experience juvenile delinquency. A child who witnesses domestic violence between his or her parents is more likely to view violence as an acceptable method of conflict resolution. Boys who witness domestic violence are more likely to become abusers, and girls who witness domestic violence are more likely to become victims of domestic violence as adults.
The advocate at Bridges does her best to prevent this cycle by providing safety planning for the children, teaching them that they can live a life free of violence. There is free preventive care for children.
She told the story of one young boy, Brian, who was nervous about returning to school. He was supposed to bring with him a story about something fun he had done over the summer. Brian was staying at Bridges with his mother, and it had not been a fun summer. So the child advocate organized a barbeque in a park across the street from the crisis center.
This is the type of healing we need more of, and we can start by reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. I urge all of my colleagues in the House to pass the Senate VAWA, for women, for children, for all survivors and for those that have not yet come forward.
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