Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership, and, certainly, I rise enthusiastically on her motion.…”

“Let me thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership, and, certainly, I rise enthusiastically on her motion. I rise in strong opposition to the rule governing debate for H.R. 6157. We must oppose this rule and defeat the previous question. The reason for such is not because we do not support the troops or our children but because defeating the previous question will enable this House to consider and pass H.R. 6545, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018. This is an opportunity that we should not squander. This bill is a bill that we have worked on for 2 years, and a bill that I introduced with over 150 cosponsors, timely, in July 2018, after working for 2 years with all of the Nation's women's advocacy groups, groups that opposed and fought against domestic violence, and all other stakeholders. I would like to thank them for 2 years of tedious and hard work, ensuring that immigrant women were protected, ensuring that Native American women were protected, ensuring that those who had a domestic abuse warrant could not have a gun without having a lockbox. I want to say to them that we will never give up. The Violence Against Women Act is a landmark piece of legislation, passed in 1994 following the Anita Hill moment that opened our eyes to the then overwhelming problems faced by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.…”