Hilda L. Solis: “tonight I rise to also share with my colleagues two incredibly important studies that greatly impact women all around…”

“tonight I rise to also share with my colleagues two incredibly important studies that greatly impact women all around this country. These reports published by the National Women's Law Center and the National Council of Research on Women clearly demonstrate that women's fundamental rights in this country are under attack by this administration's politics and policies. Since 2000, the Bush administration has been slowly chipping away at many of the hard won gains for women. This new data demonstrates that since his first few months in office, President Bush has used the power of his Presidency to manipulate, obstruct, and censor information that directly affects women's lives. Priorities have been changed, funding has been cut, research findings have been distorted and social differences and inequalities have been masked. American women have a fundamental right to seek public information that is clear, easily accessible, and not contaminated by ideology. And I am particularly concerned about the lack of information regarding violence against women. Violence against women is a serious problem that affects women and families nationwide. An estimated 1.5 million women are physically assaulted or raped by their partners every year. Women who suffer from violence depend on local services and health care providers to help them through their physical and emotional pain.”