Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, whether it is an attempt to deny women reproductive or other health services, or a refusal to support efforts to achieve equal pay for equal work, many women in America today feel under siege. Indeed, many women across the country feel a war is being waged upon them by policymakers. Today, with this final amendment to the CJS Appropriations bill, Members of the House will have a chance to say where they stand. {time} 1420 This is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill, as amended, will proceed to final passage. This amendment would increase, by $20 million, money spent on grants under the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA. Passed in 1994, VAWA is a landmark piece of legislation that has helped an incalculable number of women and families avoid or recover from crimes of violence. Grant programs under VAWA target domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, and rape. These are crimes many women know all too well. Indeed, violence against women remains a pervasive problem and a national tragedy. In 2008, about 1.8 million women over the age of 12 were subjected to a crime of violence. In that same year, almost 3,000 women were murdered, many by someone close to them. Every year, 1.3 million women over the age of 18 are assaulted by intimate partners. We need to do more to stop this epidemic; we need to do more for America's women.…”