Chris Dodd: “I share the outrage of every other Member in this Senate over the heinous and violent crimes that are committed against…”

“I share the outrage of every other Member in this Senate over the heinous and violent crimes that are committed against over 300,000 women a year. These crimes are especially horrific when the perpetrator knows his victim and knows her to be pregnant. Today, a significant number of States already allowed stricter penalties for crimes of violence committed against pregnant women. At the Federal level, I believe that it is appropriate and necessary to conform our Federal laws to the statutes of these States. Particularly heinous crimes ought to receive particularly harsh penalties. And for that reason, I strongly supported the Feinstein amendment during today's debate. Like the underlying legislation, the Feinstein amendment would have allowed Federal prosecutors to 'double-charge' those individuals convicted of crimes against pregnant women, and would have set forth severe and just punishments for those crimes. Unfortunately, this amendment was defeated. I also realize that punishing individuals for crimes against women, both pregnant and not, is only one step toward reducing domestic violence. We must do more as a society not only to punish but to prevent domestic violence. For this reason, I strongly supported the Murray amendment today.”