Political Quotes

“I wish to follow on the very important remarks made by our colleague, Senator Murray. As a result of the debate we have had in Washington, DC, I knew there was a significant problem, but until we held these forums across our State--we essentially went into every corner of Oregon--it really didn't come home to me how serious a problem this is. I wish to highlight for a moment or two this point I got into with Senator Murray with respect to rural areas, some of the stories. For example, I was told about a woman in central Oregon who essentially, faced with a very abusive relationship, spent the evening trying to hide out in ditches in the community. She would just run from ditch to ditch. Of course, a person gets pretty banged up and bruised when they do something like that, but she hid out in ditches through the night in order to avoid her abuser. But then it came to morning time and she wanted to get out. She wanted to get to the Safety Net program, which is a wonderful shelter in her area. But the fact was the only way to get out was to ask for a ride from the one person who had a vehicle in the community, and that was the person who abused her in the first place. So, literally, in a rural community--and I heard this account just recently--she had nowhere to turn. That is why I characterize the Violence Against Women Act as--especially for rural women--the last line of defense between them and the abuser.…”