Kay Hagan: “I thank our Presiding Officer for bringing this forward, and the comments from the Senator from Washington and the…”

“I thank our Presiding Officer for bringing this forward, and the comments from the Senator from Washington and the Senator from California are really highlighting the issues we are talking about. I am proud to join my colleagues to support the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. I stand here today during National Women's History Month to urge my colleagues to take swift action on a bill that is critical to the well-being of women, our families, and our country. As Hillary Clinton declared more than 15 years ago in Beijing at the Fourth World Conference on Women, ``Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights. If we take bold steps to better the lives of women, we will be taking bold steps to better the lives of children and families too.'' It is disheartening in the last several months that petty partisanship and gamesmanship have held up policies critical to women's health, including this act. Since its original passage in 1994, the bill has made tremendous progress in protecting women from domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The bill has transformed our criminal justice system and victim support services. It has encouraged collaboration among law enforcement, health and housing professionals, and community organizations to prevent and respond to domestic partner violence.…”