Hilda L. Solis: “today I rise in support of a comprehensive reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Throughout my career and…”

“today I rise in support of a comprehensive reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Throughout my career and as chair of the Democratic Women's Working Group, I have been actively involved in advancing domestic violence legislation. Although domestic violence is blind to race, ethnicity, racial and ethnic minority women, immigrant women especially, we face unique challenges to reporting and getting help for these victims. The comprehensive reauthorization of VAWA includes provisions that address these concerns. The bill includes language that would help communities establish specialized domestic violence courts in order to speed up the processing time of domestic violence cases. Also, the bill includes a provision that would help educate minority and immigrant communities on how to prevent domestic violence and provide services available to those victims. Our efforts to educate the public about domestic violence must directly address factors like cultural differences, linguistic differences and immigration issues. It is my hope that the reauthorization for the Violence Against Women Act is comprehensive and meets the needs of all women. ____________________”