On the recordJune 20, 2019
I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding. Mr. Chair, this is Maleah Davis. We mourn her loss in Houston, Texas. She was 4 years old. My amendment provides funding to support and engage adult men and young persons to reduce and prevent domestic violence against children. In recent reports, 1,600 children died because of abuse or neglect. This amendment will help ensure the safety of vulnerable children in at-risk households who are powerless to get the help and attention they need from our government. To illustrate this, this is the case of Maleah Davis, a 4-year-old girl who lived in Houston. In the past, Texas Child Protective Services removed Maleah and her two brothers from their home over reports of abuse but returned them again in February. They took them away from their relatives and, along with a court judge, returned them to this family. Maleah's mother dated her boyfriend for years, and they had a son. Maleah's mother had gone to a funeral out of town. When the boyfriend initially reported that his girlfriend's daughter was missing, he told detectives that he had been attacked, but surveillance video shows him carrying a black bag out of the home. The last time that Maleah was seen was going into that home.…
