Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a senior member of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees and as founder and co-chair of the Congressional…”

“As a senior member of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees and as founder and co-chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus I rise in strong support of S. 1799, the Victims of Child Abuse Reauthorization Act 2014. This bill authorizes the Children's Advocacy Program for FY 2014-18 and modifies the program to improve the fiscal accountability of those receiving grants under the program--including required audits, requirements for nonprofit organizations and limitations on conference expenditures. It also permits surplus amounts in the Crime Victims Fund to be used only for specific purposes: a victim notification system and the improvement of services for crime victims in the federal criminal justice system. Throughout my tenure in Congress and as founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I have advocated on behalf of victims of abuse, especially children, who are the most vulnerable and innocent victims. There is no greater crime that an individual can commit than the crime of child molestation and child abuse. The perpetrators of this crime rob children of their innocence. Moreover, victims of child molestation are profoundly affected for the rest of their lives. As parents, elected officials and concerned citizens, we have an obligation to condemn this violence, work for stronger enforcement of the law and provide adequate funding for programs to assist children who may have experienced such abuse.…”