On the recordApril 16, 2018
As my colleague has already mentioned, this is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a very important statement for preventing violence against women, men, boys, and girls. I rise today to say that it is still of great concern to all of us, and particularly young women. One in five women in this country have been raped, and four out of five rape victims are under the age of 25. Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence, almost triple the national average. This is the time for us to join together. In a few weeks, I will be introducing the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. It is legislation that has drawn bipartisan support. I look forward to the support of my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, because it will emphasize critical services such as transitional housing, legal assistance, and supervised visitation services, but, more importantly, working with the police and law enforcement community's preventative measures and working with outreach for boys and men. Prevention is part of this legislation as well as protecting our survivors, as well as educating people against this dastardly act. I look forward to the introduction of this legislation and those who will join me--men and women--to support the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act for 2018. ____________________
