David Obey: “Mr. Chairman, this is the only, only Federal money that goes directly to support State, local, and private coordinated…”

“Mr. Chairman, this is the only, only Federal money that goes directly to support State, local, and private coordinated efforts to prevent the growing epidemic of child abuse in this country. We had 1.4 million reported cases of child abuse in 1986, up to 3 million in 1996. In my hometown of Springfield a precious little girl 3 years old, Tessa Lynn, needed some help, and that help never came. One day the police came in response to some calls by neighbors, and they checked her, and they were told she was asleep. Well, now, she is asleep forever. She was horribly abused and murdered. We need more community-based programs to prevent child abuse, and this is the only one that receives any Federal funding. Mr. Chairman, I would urge my colleagues to support it. It is not a new program. It is an authorized program. It is not an unfunded mandate. And it is a program which involves States, communities, and private organizations in a coordinated effort to save the lives of precious youth in this country.”