Political Quotes

“I am reserving the right to object. I am on the floor today to speak my piece about the Violence Against Women Act. I speak to this body not just as a Senator, but I speak to this body as a survivor of rape and as a survivor of domestic violence. For months--for months--the senior Senator from California and I worked together on a piece of legislation that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, a bipartisan effort, an effort that brought the Senator and I together to reauthorize the bill with as much support in this body as possible. We were working together in good faith to make our way through the issues that affect so many women in abusive situations, partners in abusive situations, domestic violence situations where children are involved, to find a common path forward to have this bill reauthorized, again, with as much support as possible in this body at a time when America views us as so politically divided. What could bring us together? The issue of violence directed at women and children and survivors of sexual assault should bring us together. Months of bipartisan effort--but there was pressure to immediately introduce the House-passed version of the Violence Against Women Act.…”