Chellie Pingree: “I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for yielding me the time. I rise today in support of the Violence Against…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for yielding me the time. I rise today in support of the Violence Against Women Act of 2019. I want to thank the chair of the Judiciary Committee, and I want to commend the chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security for her leadership and quick action to get this reauthorized in the 116th Congress. I also want to thank the chair of the Rules Committee for his effort to bring this to the floor today and to have a strong debate. The Violence Against Women Act is a success story. Since its groundbreaking passage in 1994, this bill has been an example of Congress working in a bipartisan way to address an intolerable problem, the problem of domestic violence. Today, we are here, over two decades later, making VAWA even better. H.R. 1585 will improve services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It assists young victims of violence, and it extends programs to address bullying. It also updates current programs relative to dating violence and children exposed to violent acts. Of particular importance in the State of Maine, the bill will further protect Native American women by expanding the provisions written in 2013. H.R. 1585 will include Tribal jurisdiction over non-Indian predators of dating violence, stalking, and trafficking. At last, the Tribes of Maine and Alaska will have the same protections provided to Tribes nationwide.…”