Ted Poe: “Jane Maharam was, above all, a survivor. She always rose above adversity. She was a teacher, a music producer, a textile…”

“Jane Maharam was, above all, a survivor. She always rose above adversity. She was a teacher, a music producer, a textile owner, a mother, a grandmother. She was happily married to her childhood sweetheart, but 31 years after her marriage, her husband took off in the darkness of the night with the property. After a 15-year court battle, her ex-husband was ordered to return her assets, but instead of following the court order, he snuck off again, hiding in another State. Jane was left with nothing. She was forced to rely on public assistance. There are many spouses like Jane who find themselves victims of this injustice. Jane's Law provides Federal enforcement to retrieve stolen marital property that is illegally taken across State lines. It targets stealing spouses who have deliberately evaded payment. Jane's motto, though, was: Don't give up. Her passion drove me and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) along with a number of other House Members to champion Jane's Law. Jane Maharam died recently on April 28, 2016, at the age of 85. She was a strong-spirited woman but, Madam Speaker, she died without justice. To honor her memory, we must pass Jane's Law to rectify this injustice that she had to live through. And that is just the way it is. ____________________”