Jon Tester: “I rise to speak about an issue that affects everybody in my community. Although it is hard to imagine right now, some of…”

“I rise to speak about an issue that affects everybody in my community. Although it is hard to imagine right now, some of the people we serve fear for their own lives, not because of a terrorist attack or a natural disaster; they are afraid that somebody who is supposed to love them or support them will hurt or even kill them. This is an upsetting issue, but one we need to face head on, and I am glad we are addressing it today. Domestic violence and sexual assault are harsh realities. They know no class, race, or economic limitations. Although we have made good progress curbing domestic and sexual violence over the past decade, we still have a lot of work to do. The legislation before us takes another step toward our goal of ending domestic and sexual violence. It might not go far enough for some, but it is progress, and I am proud to support it. Over the years, the Violence Against Women Act has helped reduce the rates of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, but the numbers are still stunning. This bill gives us an opportunity to help victims get out of a dangerous situation. We have an obligation to pass this reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Unfortunately, Montana is no different from the rest of the Nation. There were almost 5,000 cases of domestic violence or sexual assault in 2011, and 10 percent of them involve Montana's kids.…”