Sexual Assault Awareness

Floor Speech

Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1259) recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The Clerk read the title of the resolution.

The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 1259

Whereas, on average, a person is sexually assaulted in the United States every 2 1/2 minutes;

Whereas the Department of Justice reports that 203,830 people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 2008;

Whereas 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims of rape or attempted rape;

Whereas the Department of Defense received 2,908 reports of sexual assault involving members of the Armed Forces in fiscal year 2008, representing an eight percent increase from fiscal 2007;

Whereas children and young adults are most at risk of sexual assault, as 44 percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18, and 80 percent are under the age of 30;

Whereas sexual assault affects women, men, and children of all racial, social, religious, age, ethnic, ability, and economic groups in the United States;

Whereas women, children, and men suffer multiple types of sexual violence, including but not limited to acquaintance, stranger, spousal, and gang rape, incest, child sexual molestation, forced prostitution, trafficking, forced pornography, ritual abuse, sexual harassment, and stalking;

Whereas it is estimated that the percentage of completed or attempt rape victimization among women in higher educational institutions may be between 20 and 25 percent over the course of a college career;

Whereas, in addition to the immediate physical and emotional costs, sexual assault has associated consequences that may include post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, major depression, homelessness, eating disorders, and suicide, among others;

Whereas only 41 percent of sexual assault victims pursue prosecution by reporting their attack to law enforcement agencies;

Whereas two-thirds of sexual crimes are committed by persons who are not strangers to the victims;

Whereas sexual assault survivors suffer emotional scars long after the physical scars have healed;

Whereas, with recent advances in DNA technology, law enforcement agencies have the potential to identify the rapists in tens of thousands of unsolved rape cases;

Whereas aggressive prosecution can lead to the incarceration of rapists and therefore prevent them from committing further crimes;

Whereas national, State, territory, and tribal coalitions, community-based rape crisis centers, and other organizations across the Nation are committed to increasing public awareness of sexual violence and its prevalence, and to eliminating it through prevention and education;

Whereas important partnerships have been formed among criminal and juvenile justice agencies, health professionals, public health workers, educators, first responders, and victim service providers;

Whereas free, confidential help is available to all survivors of sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault Hotline, more than 1,000 rape crisis centers across the United States, and other organizations that provide services to assist survivors of sexual assault;

Whereas, according to a 2010 survey of rape crisis centers by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, 72 percent of programs have experienced a reduction in funding over the past year, 56 percent have experienced a reduction in staffing, 23 percent currently have a waiting list for services, and funding and staffing cuts have resulted in an overall 50 percent reduction in the provision of institutional advocacy services;

Whereas individual and collective efforts reflect our dream for a Nation where citizens and organizations actively work to prevent all forms of sexual violence and no sexual assault victim goes unserved or ever feels there is no path to justice; and

Whereas April is recognized as ``National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month'': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That--

(1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--

(A) National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month provides a special opportunity to educate the people of the United States about sexual violence and to encourage the prevention of sexual assault, the improved treatment of its survivors, and the prosecution of its perpetrators;

(B) it is appropriate to properly acknowledge the more than 20 million men and women who have survived sexual assault in the United States and salute the efforts of survivors, volunteers, and professionals who combat sexual assault;

(C) national and community organizations and private sector supporters should be recognized and applauded for their work in promoting awareness about sexual assault, providing information and treatment to its survivors, and increasing the number of successful prosecutions of its perpetrators; and

(D) public safety, law enforcement, and health professionals should be recognized and applauded for their hard work and innovative strategies to increase the percentage of sexual assault cases that result in the prosecution and incarceration of the offenders;

(2) the House of Representatives strongly recommends national and community organizations, businesses in the private sector, colleges and universities, and the media to promote, through National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, awareness of sexual violence and strategies to decrease the incidence of sexual assault; and

(3) the House of Representatives supports the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will control 20 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Wisconsin.

GENERAL LEAVE

Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Wisconsin?

There was no objection.

Ms. BALDWIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, studies of the prevalence of crime and of victimization show that one in six women and one in 33 men will be a victim of rape or attempted rape in their lifetimes. On average, a person is sexually assaulted in the United States every 2 1/2 minutes. In my home State of Wisconsin, we have learned that nearly 93 percent of sexual assault survivors are violated by someone they know and trust; tragically, oftentimes as youngsters before they have even reached the age of 15.

Nationwide, we know that children and young adults are most at risk. Forty-four percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18, and 80 percent are under the age of 30. It is estimated that 20-25 percent of women attending college are raped or assaulted over the course of their college career.

These statistics are staggering and unconscionable. Yet, as is often the case, statistics alone can't adequately convey the urgency of a future where no child, no woman, no man is ever sexually violated again.

Last fall I got a chance to hear from a courageous woman from Wisconsin who was sexually assaulted in 1993. I will call her Carrie, although that is not her real name. Carrie was walking from her home to meet her husband at a party in suburban Milwaukee. She was approached by three strangers with guns. Madam Speaker, she was raped for 45 minutes while two guns were held against her. She thought about screaming, but she was afraid she would be shot. After the assault, Carrie said, I lay there and the first thought that came to my head was: I wish they had killed me because this isn't going to go away.

Fifteen years later, the memories of the assault have not gone away. But with incredible personal strength, Carrie has channeled the horrendous experience of victimization and subsequent pain and fear into an incredibly positive way. She has dedicated herself to creating the social change necessary to end sexual violence, and she speaks eloquently about the need to support prevention programming and services for victims of sexual assault and their families. But maybe more importantly, she bravely puts a human face on sexual assault with those less familiar with the issue or its consequences.

Carrie is a neighbor, a daughter, a sister, a wife. And Carrie is a reason to fight as long as it takes to keep other women from experiencing what she has endured. She is a true survivor and an inspiration to me, and should be to all of us.

Although, like Carrie, most victims are younger women, the effects of sexual assault cut across all racial, social, religious, ethnic and economic boundaries. Whether the crime is rape, incest, child sexual abuse, stalking or sexual harassment, sexual assault impacts everywhere: our schools, workplaces, streets and homes. Sexual assault is a threat to both public health and public safety, and it requires a coordinated response in the form of increased support for prevention, education, law enforcement, prosecution, and services provided to survivors.

This year, as our country faces difficult economic times, sexual assault service providers are seeing marked increases in reported sexual violence for a variety of reasons. Yet according to a 2010 survey of rape crisis centers by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, fully 72 percent of sexual assault prevention programs have experienced a reduction in funding over the past year; 56 percent have experienced a reduction in staffing; 23 percent currently have a waiting list for services; and funding and staffing cuts have resulted in an overall 50 percent reduction in the provision of institutional advocacy services.

We still have far to go in eradicating the harm inflected in our communities by sexual assault. There is a clear and significant need for more public education and awareness.

The National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month does just this. Recognized each year in April, this dedicated month provides a special opportunity to educate Americans about sexual violence and to encourage the prevention of sexual assault, the improved treatment of its survivors, and the prosecution of its perpetrators. As part of the National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, we recognize national and community organizations as well as private sector supporters for their work in promoting awareness about sexual assault, and also applaud public safety, law enforcement, and health professionals for their hard work and innovative strategies to increase the percentage of sexual assault cases that result in the prosecution and incarceration of offenders.

Along with my colleagues, Congressman Ted Poe from Texas and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz from Florida, I introduced House Resolution 1259 to recognize April 2010 as the National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. By supporting this resolution, we highlight the efforts of individuals and agencies that provide rape crisis intervention and prevention services. We also call attention to sexual violence as a major public health issue and raise awareness of the need for increased resources for preventing sexual violence.

Madam Speaker, I want to extend my thanks to a number of advocates for their work on sexual assault prevention, and tireless work to help victims cope with the trauma of sexual assault and transition from victim to survivor.

In Wisconsin, we are incredibly lucky to have the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault working to create the social change necessary to end sexual violence. My thanks go to the coalition and their member organizations across the State for the important work that they do.

And finally, I want to extend my sincere thanks to my colleagues, Congressman Ted Poe and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for their strong support as the lead sponsors of this resolution. Thank you for your work and leadership.

Although we have made significant progress, we still have far to go in eradicating the harm inflicted on our communities by sexual assault, and I urge all of my colleagues to fully support this resolution recognizing National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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