Ed Royce: “Mr. Speaker, every year, and this year again, we will have several million women in this country who are attacked by…”

“Mr. Speaker, every year, and this year again, we will have several million women in this country who are attacked by their ex-husbands or by ex-boyfriends. There will be half a million who are stalked. Four thousand of these women will die. These are at times silent cries, with the victims not knowing where or to whom they can turn for help. This horrifying reality is a call for us to ensure that women and law enforcement, local law enforcement, have the resources necessary to escape abuse. That is why I am a cosponsor of this bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. I think it is important for us to recognize that since it was authorized in 1994, we have seen a reduction by 21 percent of the level of violence committed against women and children by their spouses or by their partners. Thanks to this bill, more than 300,000 women who were seeking a safe haven have received much-needed shelter. I urge its passage today.”