Violence Against Women Act
Floor Speech, September 26, 2000

Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time; and, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 and its reauthorization.

I congratulate the congressional leadership for bringing this bill to the floor; to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), who has done such an outstanding job in her leadership, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for leading it through the committee.

This legislation authorizes and improves programs created by the Violence Against Women Act. Among some provisions that are very important to me, it provides civil legal assistance to the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. It establishes uniform standards for sexual assault examination and creates a domestic violence task force to report to Congress on any duplication or overlapping of Federal efforts to address domestic violence.

As a practicing lawyer, the civil legal assistance, I see, as very critical. And this is the reason this amendment was offered in committee, that would allow Legal Services Corporation funding to be spent on behalf of these victims. Whenever they come into an office, whenever they are victimized, they need not only a shelter but they need legal assistance to have access to the courts.

During the last 6 years that these programs have been authorized, it has made a crucial difference in the lives of women and children who have been victimized by domestic violence. In my home State of Arkansas, the program funds 95 percent of the domestic violence shelters available to battered women; it funds three personnel to train prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and shelter workers on how to help battered women. It funds a DNA analysis machine critical to identifying the identity of sexual assaulters. It has been instrumental in solving some violent crimes.

These funds, Mr. Speaker, are critically important to our State, and Congress must continue to support the comprehensive community-based efforts to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable. Reauthorizing this legislation is an important act of this Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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