Political Quotes

“I offer this amendment to restore $75 million in funding for the Justice Department programs contained in the Violence Against Women Act, and I am pleased that many of my colleagues, including Senator Gramm of Texas and Senator Hatch of Utah, are cosponsors of this amendment. Of all the legislation I have ever worked on here in the Senate, this one--the Violence Against Women Act--has been my first priority and my proudest accomplishment. When it passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, I thought we were well on our way to making a significant commitment to the women of America. I thought we made more than a paper commitment. But passing the law, without following through and providing the funding is meaningless. For too long, we have looked the other way when it comes to this kind of violence. For too long, we have turned our back on the women injured by men who say they love them. For too long, we have considered this kind of violence a private misfortune rather than a public injustice. Last year, we took a historic step in the right direction when we passed the Violence Against Women Act. We made a commitment to the women and children of this country. We said: We will no longer look the other way--the violence you suffer will no longer be yours alone. Help is on the way.”