Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Protecting women and girls from violence and abuse and keeping them safe is deeply important to me and Members on both sides of the aisle. Shortly before I was first elected to Congress back in 1994, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Violence Against Women Act. It was the first iteration of a very good bill, which, if you can believe it, passed the House then by a voice vote. It was supported by all but four in the Senate. When it was reauthorized in the year 2000, I supported it and voted for it, and in 2006, VAWA again had my full support. In fact, since I have been in Congress, I have voted nearly a dozen times, both in the Judiciary Committee or here on the floor, to renew or strengthen the provisions of VAWA in an effort to do what we all can do to protect women who have been or will in the future be subjects of domestic violence, abuse, or other forms of harassment. Historically, this legislation has been a truly bipartisan effort. Sadly, the effort put forth today by the majority is anything but bipartisan. What has happened between then and now? It seems to me that many on the left decided that they could use this critical legislation that is intended to protect women and girls from violence as a vehicle to promote their far-left political agenda.…”