Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021
Floor Speech
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2119, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act.
A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, estimated that one-third of all men and women are victims of domestic violence at some point in their life. In 2018, approximately 40 percent of female homicides in North Carolina were related to intimate partner violence. The 2020 statistics aren't any better.
COVID-19 and President Biden's failed economic policies have dealt our Nation government-mandated restrictions and economic challenges. It appears those negative outcomes have snowballed to exacerbate an even worse fallout.
Evidence suggests that in this pandemic environment, stress due to work, school, substance abuse, and financial struggles have added to more violence in the home. Especially hard-hit appear to be rural areas where job opportunities can be hard to find. Recent statistics show that domestic violence-related homicides have increased in my home State of North Carolina.
Domestic violence in any form is an evil that demands a strong response. That is why, in 1984, Congress enacted the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, FVPSA, which authorizes programs to support victims of domestic violence and their dependents. These programs include grants to support domestic violence shelters and services and a national domestic violence hotline.
Additionally, FVPSA funds the CDC's DELTA program, which provides funding to State domestic violence coalitions to develop, test, and coordinate local prevention and education programs. Since FVPSA's enactment, Congress has worked in a bipartisan manner to reauthorize the bill. Sadly, Democrats are now using it as a vehicle to push left- wing priorities. This is disappointing.
Committee Republicans wanted to support a bipartisan bill. I strongly believe that FVPSA's history of bipartisanship must be continued. However, the Democrat bill before us puts special interest groups ahead of victims of domestic violence.
H.R. 2119 paves the way for taxpayer-supported abortions. Forcing the public to pay for abortions is morally repugnant and should not be allowed to stand in this bill or any bill. Previous reauthorizations of the law included a prohibition preventing reimbursement for healthcare services, but this bill drops that prohibition.
The bill also tramples the rights of faith-based providers by forcing organizations to abandon their sincerely held religious beliefs or give up helping victims through these programs, meaning that fewer victims will be able to access vital services and care. Faith-based providers who offer critical care to survivors of domestic violence should not be obstructed from operating.
Additionally, this bill lacks commonsense accountability that is needed after years of Congress ignoring this program. We need to know what is going on with the program and the Republican substitute would ensure we have that information.
FVPSA is not an instrument for partisan policies, or it should not be, especially those that threaten religious liberties. That is why Republicans offered an amendment that includes a carefully focused set of reforms that act in the best interest of victims of family violence and the people who serve them. Specifically, it improves current law, ensuring that funds are focused on life-saving supportive services. Democrats opposed it in committee, and I am guessing they will oppose it on the floor.
Republicans recognize the importance of supporting survivors of domestic violence. We must understand that dealing with this issue is best done at the local level and government cannot always provide the answers. Local civic groups and faith-based providers are best positioned to provide aid and deliver it effectively.
Congress should support best practices and protect the providers closest to the victims seeking help. Pushing faith-based providers out of this important work--as the Democrat-led bill could do--does nothing to help continue the delivery of locally-driven support services for victims of domestic violence.
Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost), who is the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, currently the Secretary of HHS has unimpeded authority to create resource centers under FVPSA that are meant to provide victims of domestic violence with help. Unfortunately, the number of resource centers has grown in recent years without the public's knowledge. A brief look at the websites of these organizations reveals that a number of these centers are using taxpayer money to promote a progressive ideology on gender and sexuality instead of simply supporting victims of domestic violence. Taxpayers deserve to know the mission and purpose of these resource centers and whether they are effective.
The Republican substitute requires the Secretary to provide notice to Congress before creating additional resource centers. Additionally, it requires the Government Accountability Office to issue a report on the effectiveness of these resource centers and provide recommendations for improvements on how they can do a better job delivering services to victims.
Madam Speaker, money is scarce and getting scarcer, and we need to know that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, victims of domestic violence should not lose important faith-based assistance simply because bureaucrats in Washington don't share the same beliefs. Our freedom of religion is the number one freedom outlined in the Bill of Rights, and yet our friends often on the other side of the aisle seem to forget that and want to trample on that right. Faith-based providers have helped victims of domestic violence for years, and they should not be forced to abandon their mission because progressives want to use taxpayer resources to promote a progressive ideology on gender and sexuality.
As we learned from our witness at a hearing on this program, sometimes victims need to hear from faith leaders to feel really safe and able to get help. We should not jeopardize that lifeline.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, the Democrats' bill strikes a current law provision that requires certain grant recipients to provide a non-Federal match for the taxpayer dollars they receive under FVPSA.
Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleagues who have indicated that funding for domestic violence is not a Federal responsibility. It is a State and local responsibility. The 10th Amendment of the Constitution said if their responsibilities were not outlined in the Constitution for the Federal Government to do, then those responsibilities were left to the States and to the people themselves.
However, I am a realist. The Federal Government stepped into this space, in a bipartisan manner, many, many years ago. So, taxpayers paying taxes at the Federal level have been supporting these programs for a long time. However, it is appropriate that there be a local match for this to show that local people have an interest in these programs and believe they should be supported.
Furthermore, Democrats are refusing to acknowledge that we are nearly $30 trillion in debt and going up in debt quickly, going down the tubes quickly. Their radical taxing and spending spree is intended to create the largest Federal Government expansion since the New Deal. Frankly, many of them brag about this, which is unbelievable to me.
But Republicans are committed to ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively. That is why the Republican substitute amendment and my amendment ensure the important non-Federal match provision under FVPSA remains in place. We need some local skin in the game.
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Ms. FOXX.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, this bill contains a number of provisions that are well-known poison pills for Republicans. Democrats can't claim this is a bipartisan bill when it takes far-left positions on multiple social issues that are unrelated to FVPSA's purposes.
This bill was rejected on a party-line basis at a committee markup. Democrats ignored the long history of bipartisan reauthorizations and included poison pills and not moving forward.
The Senate was able to leave politics at the door, and there is no reason for the House not to do the same.
Madam Speaker, the majority of Americans oppose using their hard- earned money to pay for abortions. A Marist Poll conducted earlier this year showed that as many as 58 percent oppose using tax dollars to fund abortions.
We have repeatedly seen Democrats attack the lifesaving Hyde amendment. This, along with the removal of a longstanding prohibition on using FVPSA funding to reimburse for healthcare services, would risk forcing taxpayers to fund abortions under this program.
FVPSA dollars are meant to offer hope and healing to victims of domestic violence, not bring harm to innocent lives.
Madam Speaker, victims of domestic violence deserve access to the expertise and resources necessary to aid them in their time of crisis, free from political interference. The Democrats' partisan proposal could harm the unborn and obstruct high-quality providers from offering services to domestic violence victims.
As I said before, FVPSA should not be an instrument for partisan policies, especially those that threaten religious liberties.
Committee Republicans want to continue FVPSA's history of bipartisanship, yet Democrats have upended the previously bipartisan balance between prevention services and support for victims and children at the behest of special interest groups. This is shameful.
I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 2119, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, while many of the amendments offered today by my Democrat colleagues do not make the bill any worse, they fail to correct the significant flaws of the underlying bill.
Several amendments offered by Republican Members would have improved the bill, but Democrats blocked those amendments from being debated.
Two of those I would like to highlight quickly are: An amendment offered by Congresswoman Mary Miller to ensure FVPSA dollars cannot be used for abortion services or abortion referrals and an amendment offered by Congresswoman Spartz to ensure taxpayers know the mission and purpose of the resource centers authorized under FVPSA.
These amendments are needed to address concerning changes the Democrats make that open the door for taxpayer funding of abortion under FVPSA and also double down on attempts to advance a radical gender ideology through FVPSA's resource centers.
The Democrats missed an opportunity to change course, work in a bipartisan fashion, and send the Senate a bill we know could become law. But they have decided to pursue partisan policy over protecting victims.
Thankfully, this bill is not heading to the President's desk, and I look forward to working on making further needed improvements so victims can access the help they need from those they trust.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, again, these amendments do not make any further harm to the programs, but they also do not cure the flaws in the bill before us today. I do not oppose this en bloc but urge my colleagues to oppose the underlying bill.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2119, the ``Family Violence and Prevention Services Improvement Act,'' which will improve the protection and prevention for Americans affected by family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence.
I would like to thank my good friend, Congresswoman McBath, for championing this important legislation and shepherding it to the floor.
Through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), survivors receive services such as emergency shelter, crisis counseling, safety planning, and assistance recovering from financial abuse and housing insecurity.
The FVPSA supports life-saving services throughout the country via grants to states, tribal governments, and territories through three primary sets of activities, all of which are administered by HHS.
First, the FCPSA funds a national domestic violence hotline that receives calls for assistance related to this violence. The hotline provides crisis intervention and counseling, maintains a database of service providers, and provides referrals for victims and others affected by domestic violence.
Second, FVPSA funds efforts to prevent domestic violence through a program known as Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Allies (DELTA).
Third, FVPSA supports direct services for victims and their families. Most of this funding is awarded via grants to states, territories, and tribes.
FVPSA is the only federal funding source dedicated to providing support to domestic violence shelters and programs.
FVPSA provides base core funding to support more than 1,600 local public, private, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations and programs in their response to the urgent needs of over 1.3 million domestic violence victims and their children.
In 2020, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) found that in just one day, FVPSA-funded programs helped 76,525 victims of domestic violence.
However, over 11,000 people were unable to be served due to a lack of funding.
This shortage of funding is especially severe with shelters serving rural and marginalized populations, and increased funding and culturally-specific programs are essential to addressing the needs of these communities.
FVPSA was first passed in 1984 and was most recently reauthorized in 2010. Its authorization expired in 2015.
Madam Speaker, this bill marks an historic effort to acknowledge and address the unique suffering of family violence survivors from marginalized communities.
Different communities and cultures have different perceptions of domestic violence and reactions to it--therefore different communities and cultures need different treatments and prevention measures to address domestic violence.
That is why I am proud to support this bill, which includes provisions that are tailored to these specific populations.
Such provisions include:
1. Providing new grants to local programs serving culturally specific or traditionally underserved communities;
2. Increasing access for survivors from racial and ethnic communities to services by creating a national grant program to build the capacity to address domestic violence; and
3. Increasing funding for Native American tribes by allocating tribal grants as a set-aside to acknowledge their sovereign authority.
Simply put, receiving accurate feedback about our efforts will inform our decision-making, allowing us to adapt and improve upon our programs to reach more minority survivors.
It is these communities specifically that are in the most need of our help.
In my home state of Texas, 29 percent of domestic violence victims are Black despite making up only 12 percent of the population.
The share of domestic violence victims in Texas who are Native American is twice as much as the proportion of Natives in the general population.
In addition to addressing the special needs of minority communities, there is a litany of other exciting provisions in this bill that build upon the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, such as:
1. Increasing the funding authorization level to $253 million to address chronic underfunding that resulted in 11,000 people not receiving services in a single day.
2. Technologically updating the National Domestic Violence Hotline and improving hotline services for underrepresented populations.
3. Authorizing funding for tribal coalitions, which provide support to tribal domestic violence programs but are not currently authorized by statute to receive FVPSA funding.
4. Authorizing new grants of up to $150,000 to each state, territorial and tribal coalition to prevent domestic violence.
A bill of this nature is incredibly important for my home state of Texas, where it is estimated that 1 in 3 Texans will be a victim of domestic violence during their lifetime.
Madam Speaker, no member should be complacent with these egregious statistics.
With this bill's increased commitment to prevention and treatment of family violence, we are sending a message to survivors that you are not forgotten.
For these reasons, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 2119, the ``Family Violence and Prevention Services Improvement Act.''
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act provides critical services to victims of domestic violence, and faith-based organizations are some of the leading providers of these services.
Unfortunately, the Democrats' bill would change that by adding extreme provisions that stray from FVPSA's important purposes and could limit participation of the important faith-based providers.
The substitute amendment offered by Congresswoman Letlow ensures that faith-based providers don't have to choose between their beliefs or continuing to deliver the vital service and care that help protect victims.
Congresswoman Letlow's amendment also brings much-needed accountability to FVPSA. The law currently authorizes the Secretary to create domestic violence resource centers, but these resource centers have been used to push a radical gender ideology rather than help victims of domestic violence.
That is why the substitute amendment requires the Secretary to provide notice to Congress before creating additional resource centers. Further, it requires the Government Accountability Office to issue a report on the effectiveness of these resource centers and provide recommendations for improvements on how they can do a better job delivering services to victims.
It has been too long since Congress has exercised effective oversight of this program, and it is time to change that. Beginning with the provisions in Congresswoman Letlow's amendment, this law will finally have some real accountability metrics.
The Democrats' bill also strikes a current law provision that requires certain grant recipients to obtain funding from sources outside the Federal Government, so Federal taxpayers are not on the hook for providing all of the funding.
While Republicans are committed to ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively, Democrats refuse to acknowledge that we are nearly $30 trillion in debt. Their radical taxing-and-spending spree is intended to create the largest Federal Government expansion since the New Deal, and this bill is the latest attempt by the Democrats to create further reliance on government, pushing out private-sector involvement in these critical programs. That is why the amendment I offered ensures the important non-Federal match provision under FVPSA remains in place.
I urge my colleagues to support these amendments, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Louisiana (Ms. Letlow).
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, it is critical that we reauthorize FVPSA in a bipartisan manner, free from partisan poison pills. The Democrats' bill fails to do that, but the Republican amendments would set aside politics, ensuring FVPSA continues to offer help to victims of domestic violence.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
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