Robert Torricelli: “in only a matter of 2 or 3 weeks, the Congress will adjourn--I trust having passed H-1B visas, but in all likelihood…”

“in only a matter of 2 or 3 weeks, the Congress will adjourn--I trust having passed H-1B visas, but in all likelihood without passing a Patients' Bill of Rights, or, unfortunately, a prescription drug benefit, and probably without any real improvement in gun safety legislation. While many of us will take comfort in helping American high- technology companies by providing H-1B visas, it is not even a mixed success. Worse, however, than most of these frustrations is the most unnecessary of all of these failures; that is, the failure to pass the Violence Against Women Act. Five years ago, Senator Biden led this Congress in passing a Violence Against Women Act, which I believe became noncontroversial and which benefits have been widely accepted. It makes it all the more difficult to understand that this $1.6 billion package is languishing and will expire. Under this legislation, we have trained thousands of police officers to make them sensitive to the problems of family violence and abuse. Judges and counselors have received training in sensitivity. We have increased the means of reporting domestic violence. So our records are accurate. We know the extent of the problem and how to respond. Most importantly, we have provided real services, medical services, for a woman or a family who is abused; a place to go to get counselling from someone who understands domestic violence and how to deal with it; a place to take a child.…”