Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013

Floor Speech

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Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please see this request through the eyes of a child who was assaulted by a family member and comes forward at school to confide in a beloved teacher; the woman in an isolated rural area, where local law enforcement is under-resourced and transportation or legal services may be lacking or nonexistent; the women on college campuses, where rates of intimate partner violence are among the highest. Please, Mr. Speaker, see this through the eyes of victims with disabilities who are at high risk of abuse and are often dependent on their abusers for care.

In short, this VAWA funding means that a woman--and even men--who have been victimized can step out of the shadows away from their abusers and get access to counseling, legal services, or other services. And, Mr. Speaker, every single day, for three women, this VAWA funding is a difference between life and death.

It is so true that the CJS legislation before us has provided the requested level of support for victims and their families; but it's been chronically underfunded since the day they opened their doors, and there are thousands of men, women, and children who are not being served.

Please, this is an opportunity to provide a small increase to fill the gap between available resources and the desperate need to serve folks. We must commit adequate resources toward these effective, lifesaving programs. And, Mr. Speaker, we must do it now.

I ask my colleagues to vote for this motion to recommit.

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