Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today we rise to consider H.R. 3627, the Kilah Davenport Child Protection Act of 2013. This legislation is part of the continuing effort to stamp out the scourge of child abuse in our society. According to the organization Childhelp, each year there are more than 3 million reports of child abuse in the United States. At least 6 million children are impacted on an annual basis. Every day an average of four to seven children die in this great country as a result of child abuse and neglect, and more than 78 percent of reported child fatalities resulting from abuse and neglect were caused by one or more of the victim's parents. We must do everything in our power to change this sad reality. Our effort, of course, must be comprehensive and should include both robust criminal justice enforcement and parental education and prevention efforts. In other words, our approach should be balanced. Those who abuse children must understand that the consequences connected to their criminal behavior will be significant. We must also aggressively take steps to prevent child victimization before it occurs. In doing so, we can mitigate the severe trauma of child abuse and simultaneously channel precious taxpayer resources away from the criminal justice system. H.R. 3627 requires the Attorney General to issue a report regarding the penalties for violations of laws prohibiting child abuse in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S.…”