Michael Bennet: “I rise to talk about the importance of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. As a husband and as a father of…”

“I rise to talk about the importance of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. As a husband and as a father of three young daughters, this issue is especially personal to me. This piece of legislation provides extremely valuable Federal resources to help victims of domestic and sexual violence rebuild their lives. Whether it comes in the form of an emergency shelter, legal assistance, a crisis hotline or advocacy, this bill provides the assistance that victims need, especially in the most vulnerable time. Domestic violence, spousal abuse, and sexual assaults represent enormous public policy challenges. Because of the very personal nature of these crimes, it can be extremely difficult for victims to come forward to get the help they need, let alone call out those who have committed these heinous crimes. But since this bill was first enacted, the annual incidence of domestic violence continues to drop. Additionally, domestic violence reporting has dramatically increased and victims are receiving lifesaving assistance to help them move forward with their lives. In my home State of Colorado, we continue to make great progress reducing the number of domestic and sexual assaults that occur, but we must continue to do more. In 2010, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control published a report which estimated that 451,000 women in Colorado were victims of rape in their lifetime.…”