Political Quotes

“I rise today to talk about the importance of passing the Violence Against Women Act, and reauthorizing this critical funding for survivors of domestic violence. We have heard about the protections the Senate version offers that the House does not, to women on college campuses, to women on tribal lands, to LGBT victims, and to immigrants. It is important to remember all of the other programs supported by this important legislation. On this day, when preventive health care finally becomes available to 47 million women, including free domestic violence screening and counseling, it is worth taking a look at how domestic violence impacts healthcare for women and families in this country. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, the average cost of health care services for women is more than twice the average cost for men, and this is largely due to the costs and impact of domestic violence. The CDC estimates the direct health care costs associated with domestic violence to be around $4.1 billion every year. And we know this is a conservative estimate, because many victims never come forward. But we have a proven tool in this fight, and that is the protections in the Violence Against Women Act. Since the bill first went into effect in 1994, reporting has increased by 51 percent according to the Department of Justice. The FBI reports that the number of women killed by an intimate partner has decreased by 34 percent.…”