Bill Pascrell: “the House passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act on September 26. The funding for that act expired…”

“the House passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act on September 26. The funding for that act expired on September 30. When is the Senate going to act? The vote here was 415 to 3. The House took great strides in reauthorizing the funding programs in the VAWA that will improve the quality of life for millions of women and children across the country. It reauthorizes programs that make a real difference in our communities: the STOP grants, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, battered women's shelters, rape crisis centers. I visited one of those centers just recently. They are doing the job. That is why we reauthorized it. Where is the Senate? We must be sensitive to the needs of every woman who is a victim of these tragic circumstances. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for their leadership on this critical legislation.”