Katie Porter: “I am honored to be here today to introduce my amendment to the Violence Against Women Act, which integrates the term…”

“I am honored to be here today to introduce my amendment to the Violence Against Women Act, which integrates the term ``economic abuse'' throughout the legislation. I wrote this amendment to ensure that this largely invisible abuse is recognized federally, and victims are afforded all of the protections offered under VAWA. Over one-quarter of women and 11 percent of men have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetimes. I am one of them. I suffered domestic violence, and every year, millions suffer in silence for many reasons, but one of the most prominent among those reasons is economic necessity. According to a study conducted in 2012, 74 percent of survivors stayed with their abuser for financial reasons. Financial abuse through consumer credit still has not been appropriately recognized under the law. Using debt to exercise coercive control is one of the most prevalent and nefarious forms of domestic violence. In a Michigan State study, 99 percent of domestic violence victims reported some form of economic abuse. Economic abuse takes many forms, ranging from employment sabotage to malicious attempts to restrict survivor's access to funds. Threats of violence cause women to take time off from school or work and interfere with their abilities to maintain employment or complete their educations.…”