Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011

Floor Speech

* Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, on the evening of March 11, 2011, hundreds of people gathered on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol Building for a candlelight vigil honoring the memory of Peace Corps Volunteer Kate Puzey.

* Two years earlier on that date, Kate was murdered while serving in Benin after she accused a local teacher of sexually abusing his students. Believing that Kate's experience could be used to prevent similar tragedies, her family and friends created ``Kate's Voice Advocacy Group'' and began a nationwide campaign to urge reforms.

* Collaborating with First Response Action, a group representing Peace Corps Volunteers who were sexually or otherwise assaulted, ``Kate's Voice'' met with lawmakers and tirelessly advocated policies designed to support and protect all Peace Corps Volunteers, at home or in the field.

* Tonight the House will consider S. 1280, the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011, which will enhance existing procedures for victims of physical and sexual assault in the Peace Corps and establish clear protocols for handling and reporting confidential information within the agency.

* Specifically, this legislation requires the Peace Corps to provide enhanced sexual assault risk reduction and response training to all volunteers and integrate that knowledge with safety and security protocols at every Peace Corps post. Volunteers in training will receive an in-depth analysis of the particular risks they face in a given country and be provided with clear, written guidelines regarding whom to contact and what steps to take in the event of a sexual assault.

* S. 1280 creates an anonymous hotline for reporting sexual assaults and sets up response teams that will be deployed the moment an incident is reported. A certified victim's advocate who answers to the Director of the Peace Corps will be required on staff to oversee the initiative and manage data collection for further studies analyzing safety and security trends.

* Mr. Speaker, the Peace Corps has sent over 200,000 Americans to live and work in 139 developing countries since it was established by an executive order from President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961. Now in its 50th year, the agency continues to fill the gaps left behind by conflict, strife, and environmental degradation around the globe. For 2 years they develop partnerships, gain valuable knowledge, and help their communities meet local development goals. In the process, they build lifelong bonds and gain a greater understanding of America's place in the world.

* The world in which Peace Corps Volunteers work is the real world, Mr. Speaker. It can be dangerous and uncertain. Therefore, issues of health and safety are of critical concern, especially during those first few months it takes a volunteer to adjust to the realities of his or her new life.

* The provisions of this legislation were developed with extensive input from affected individuals and their families, victims' rights groups, Peace Corps senior staff, and the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) community. Kate's memory, embodied in her family, friends, and supporters, moved the process forward.

* Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams testified on May 11, 2011 at a hearing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and affirmed that he is committed to meeting the goals espoused by Kate's Voice and First Response Action.

* ``The Peace Corps has not always been sufficiently responsive or sensitive to victims of crime and their families,'' he admitted. He went on to offer a public apology and described how such attitudes are changing on his watch.

* Indeed, much of the substance of S. 1280 is already being implemented within the agency. Director Williams created the Victim's Advocate position and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, to collaborate and share resources on sexual assault prevention and response.

* Mr. Speaker, based on the Peace Corps receptivity to these reforms and the bipartisan nature of this legislation, I am confident that S. 1280 is an enlightened response to the pressing concerns of Peace Corps Volunteers and their families.

* As a committed friend of the Peace Corps and its mission, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and provide the resources necessary to implement it without threatening the operational capacity of the agency.

* The remarkable collaboration that conceived the Kate Puzey Act was an unparalleled labor of love. It was an earnest push to strengthen the program and prepare it for the future. It was not meant to hurt or punish the agency.

* One of the witnesses at the May 11th hearing put it bluntly: ``I would be devastated if my testimony were used to stop Peace Corps funding, cut funding, or eliminate the Peace Corps.''

* I strongly encourage my colleagues to keep that thought in mind as we consider this bipartisan legislation, which is the legacy of many extraordinary Americans, some of whom never returned from their missions abroad.

* To honor the memories of fallen Volunteers, respect the survivors who courageously shared their stories, and encourage the next generation which recognizes the power of service, I will vote for this legislation in its current form, and I urge my colleagues to do likewise.

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