Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011--Continued

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I am pleased to be here to join those of my colleagues who are urging that we come together this afternoon, and I am pleased we are going to see votes on the Violence Against Women Act to reauthorize the legislation as it has passed through the Judiciary Committee.

As we all know, domestic violence continues to be a serious problem across our country. In New Hampshire, nearly one in four women has been sexually assaulted. At least one-third of New Hampshire women have been victims of a physical assault by an intimate partner. More than one-half of all women in my State have experienced sexual or physical assault over the course of their lifetimes.

All of us share in an obligation to stop this epidemic, and VAWA is a proven tool in this fight. The real importance of this legislation lies not in the statistics but in hearing about those women who have been helped by the services that are provided by the Violence Against Women Act.

I have had a chance to visit several crisis centers around New Hampshire in the past few weeks, and I have met with the survivors and the advocates who depend on this funding. I went to a crisis center called Bridges in Nashua where I spoke with a survivor of domestic violence. She told me: When you are a victim of domestic violence, you think you are worthless. She said: There are so many times that I would have gone back to my abuser, except that I had the ability to call Bridges crisis line at 2 o'clock in the morning and talk to somebody who could help me so that I knew I was supported.

Because of the Violence Against Women Act, the Bridges program can operate and have a crisis line for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Because of the support she got through the Bridges program, this survivor is going back to college, she is free from abuse, and she is going to have a life that is saved because of programs that are supported by the Violence Against Women Act.

The law enforcement community has been very supportive of this legislation. They need this bill too. In New Hampshire, half of all murders are domestic violence related. I spoke to the chief of police in Nashua, our State's second largest city. He gets just $68,000 from the Violence Against Women Act funding, but that allows him to have a dedicated unit within the police department that can respond to domestic violence and sexual assault cases.

I heard from retired Henniker police chief Timothy Russell. He is a 37-year veteran in law enforcement, and he now travels around the State teaching police officers how to respond to domestic violence cases. It is funds from the Violence Against Women Act that allow him to conduct the specialized training so police officers can identify patterns of domestic abuse and prevent those situations from escalating. Officers are taught to maintain good relationships with crisis centers, and Chief Russell tells them: If you see a victim in trouble, get a counselor on the phone to talk to them. Tell them what their options are. Again, thanks to funding from the Violence Against Women Act, he has resources to bring this training throughout New Hampshire to police officers so they can help the victims.

I saw just this kind of cooperation and action when I visited the Family Justice Center in Rochester, NH, this week. They have made a multitude of services accessible in one place so victims do not have to go all over town or all over the county to get the help they need. They can see a counselor, get childcare assistance, and fill out an application for a protective order; women can even get their injuries treated and officially documented. They can get free legal help--all in this Family Justice Center, made possible by a Violence Against Women Act grant.

If we do not support this because it is the right thing to do--and I think it is--we should also support this legislation because it saves money. It is a cost-effective approach because, in addition to reducing crime, victims are less reliant on emergency rooms. They are less likely to need State assistance when they can connect with resources. They can get help with childcare and housing and get back on their feet and become productive citizens. This is the type of help every citizen deserves and ultimately makes us all safer.

I am also pleased to see there is particular language in this legislation that requires service providers to help any victim of domestic violence regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

I think Sergeant Jill Rockey, whom I met when I was in Rochester at the Family Justice Center, put it best when she said:

When someone calls for help in a domestic or sexual violence case, we don't ask if they are an immigrant or gay. We just go.

Well, hopefully, today we will respond in passing this bill with that same sense of urgency. Let's make sure we do not let victims, first responders, or our communities down. Let's give everyone the help they need and deserve. Let's pass this legislation today.

I yield the floor.

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