Steven Holt: “I thank the gentleman. Let me give one example of how important this legislation is and how this bill before us would…”

“I thank the gentleman. Let me give one example of how important this legislation is and how this bill before us would eliminate important provisions to protect women from abuse. Several years ago, a teenage girl from Trenton came to my office for help. She'd been abused by her parents and abandoned by them. When she came to my office, she was living in a shelter participating in a transitional living program that required part-time employment. She had come to the United States legally, but she needed help. Because of VAWA, I was able to show her how she could secure her permanent resident status and work authorization. After I helped her get work authorization and permanent resident status, she got her life back on track. VAWA made that possible. This bill would remove essential provisions of VAWA that allow victims of abuse to petition for permanent residency by themselves; and by removing those provisions, this bill would leave this girl and countless other victims of domestic abuse with no help, no support, and potentially at the mercy of their abusers. Vote ``no'' on this rule. Vote ``no'' on the bill.”