Jackie Speier: “I thank my colleague, and thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) for hosting this Special Order on domestic…”

“I thank my colleague, and thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) for hosting this Special Order on domestic violence, and I thank Congressman Poe for his participation as well. Imagine you were beaten at the hands of your boyfriend or husband, maybe in front of your child. Imagine that before you were able to call the police, your attacker fled. But he doesn't get far before the police catch him and throw him in jail. But days later he is set free, not on bail but with a clean record. And he's angry. More so because he first beat you, and now he wants to get revenge because you caused him to be arrested. No, this isn't a scene from a horror movie. It is, instead, a dose of reality from Topeka, Kansas, where the city council voted earlier this month to repeal the city law against misdemeanor domestic battery. The council claimed that budget woes required this act of public policy cowardice. By repealing this law, Topeka sent a clear message to the women: your safety is not a priority; we will not protect you if you are victimized; we will not hold your spouse, former spouse, boyfriend, or live-in accountable if they assault you. You are on your own. And this happened in a city where a domestic violence murder occurs every 10 days; a domestic violence incident occurs every 22 minutes; and a person is--or I should say was--charged with domestic violence every 41 minutes. But no more in Topeka, Kansas. These are tough times for local and State governments.…”