I applaud my colleague from Colorado, Senator Bennet, for the work he has done on the FDA legislation--as he pointed out, the good work that has been done by our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get to this bill, to move it forward…

I ask permission to engage in a colloquy with the Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy. I would like to address a problem that affects many women who are victims of domestic violence. We have addressed a variety of important concerns with the…

Many crisis centers that receive grants from VAWA do use their general funds to assist women with transportation costs who could not otherwise afford them. I believe that is a use of funds consistent with the intent of Congress to expand…

I also appreciate the bill's new language emphasizing the importance of providing services to women in rural or geographically isolated areas. Identifying this particularly vulnerable population will be helpful for those centers which…

Yes, that is exactly right. The Violence Against Women Act provides support for important services like medical treatment, counseling, shelter, and legal assistance to seek protective orders. Clearly women need to be able to get to these…

It does. When you are a woman in a violent situation, not having access to transportation is more than an inconvenience, it can be life threatening. One woman in Atkinson, NH, called the local crisis center for transportation because her…

You know well the issues facing rural communities in Vermont, as I do in New Hampshire. Domestic violence occurs as frequently in rural areas as it does in cities, and many women in rural settings do not have access to a car or public…

I thank the Senator from Vermont for engaging in this colloquy to address the importance of providing transportation services to women and families in need. I thank him, too, for his leadership on the reauthorization of the Violence…

That is a real problem. Many women initially rely on the police or an ambulance to remove them from unsafe situations, but their problems continue once they reach a shelter or crisis center. They have no way to get to court for hearings…

And I thank the Senator for including language in the reauthorization of VAWA recently passed by the Senate that further clarifies that transportation services are an acceptable use of VAWA funds. The bill adds language in the new victim…

Thank you to you and Senator Murkowski for holding the hearing and for your leadership on the Clean Energy Standard.

I share your enthusiasm. I think technology offers tremendous opportunities in this area.