Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Stand Against Violence and Empower Native Women--SAVE Native Women--Act. I would like to thank the cosponsors of my bill, my good friends Senators Inouye, Murray, Udall of New Mexico, Begich, Franken, Johnson of South Dakota, Baucus, Tester, and Bingaman. Native women across the country suffer from severe threats to their safety. According to a safety study by the Department of Justice, two in five girls and women in Native communities will suffer domestic violence and one in three will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Can you imagine looking through the loving eyes of your daughter, sister, or mother and knowing one of them will probably be abused in her lifetime? This is a terrible reality of life for Native women and their families across the country. It is an epidemic, it is unacceptable, and we must stand against it. This is why I am introducing the SAVE Native Women Act. Most of those who commit these terrible crimes against Native women are not Native themselves. Yet, currently, tribes have no ability to prosecute non-Natives for domestic violence and sexual assault in their own communities. This has resulted in a sense of lawlessness and leaves Native women with few places to turn. My bill strengthens tribal jurisdiction over domestic violence and sexual assault so that all offenders, Native and non-Native, can be brought to justice.…”