Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon). Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, I think everything has been said. Everything now is online, and that is the reason this bill is so important as well. That is the reason why I rise in support of S. 134, the Combat Online Predators Act. I am a proud cosponsor of the House companion bill, H.R. 4203, which was introduced by my good friends, Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Stephanie Murphy. I think this legislation is straightforward. It increased the maximum prison term for a stalking offense by 5 additional years if the victim is under age 18. Additionally, the Attorney General must issue a report on the best practices for the enforcement of Federal, State, local, and Tribal stalking laws as well. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, during a 12-month period, an estimated 14 in every 1,000 persons age 18 or older are victims of stalking. Overall, 7.5 million people across the Nation reported being affected by these, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime and sponsored by the Office of Violence Against Women. The same study shows 46 percent of the stalking victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week, and 11 percent of the victims say they have been stalked for 5 years or more. Approximately one in four stalking victims reported some form of cyberstalking.…”