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Ukraine
Mr. President, the second item I would like to mention refers to a moving, historic presentation this morning by the President of Ukraine to a joint session of Congress.
He did it virtually by remote because he is literally in Kyiv, risking his life every single day for his nation.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have started his life as a standup comedian, but at this moment in life, he is a standup President of Ukraine, who is confronting the monster of Moscow who has unleashed this invasion on his country. He begged us to continue to help, and we will.
Last week, we added almost $14 billion to the effort to support the Ukrainian defense and resistance. We need to do that and more.
Many of the suggestions by the Republican Senator are consistent with that goal, and I would endorse it. But I want to leave it to President Biden to make the critical decisions as our Commander in Chief who is really tasked with America's national security as his highest priority.
I take exception to this notion that Joe Biden didn't understand the timing of this crisis. He understood it better than anyone. He knew that if he pushed too far and too fast, two things might occur: first, that the Russians would move because we had precipitated it with an action we had taken. He was hoping, as we all did, that this could be ended bloodlessly and that an innocent people would be saved from what we see, the devastation that is happening in Ukraine today. So he was careful to make those moves in a way that Putin couldn't use them as an excuse for starting the invasion.
Second, and more important, he needed to move at a pace consistent with building the NATO alliance. President Joe Biden succeeded in that effort. The NATO alliance today is stronger than it has ever been. Don't believe the last President of the United States had anything to do with that, just the opposite was true.
Joe Biden picked up that alliance from the mat and brought them up to fighting trim, to be ready, if needed, to ``defend every square inch,'' as he says, ``of NATO territory.'' That timing was crucial. And decisions which seem so easy and obvious in America were much more complex on the continent of Europe. Joe Biden knew that, and he paced himself accordingly. And because of that today, we have the strongest alliance in the face of Vladimir Putin that he has ever seen and that we have ever seen.
The last point I want to make to this, you could not watch the graphic video presented by President Zelenskyy without breaking your heart. Every parent and grandparent in America watching that video saw a member of his family, a child, a lifeless corpse because of a man named Vladimir Putin and what he is doing to that poor country. Unprovoked, he has invaded them and kills innocent people every single day.
Last night, unanimously, the Senate decided, as they should, that the conduct of Vladimir Putin was nothing short of a war crime. I can't think of any other way to describe it and certainly never excuse it.
Zelenskyy touched our hearts too. His people are fighting a valiant effort, and the United States and allies and countries that share our values stand behind him and will continue to.
Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022
Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues Senators Murkowski and Ernst and, of course, my friend and colleague Senator Feinstein to celebrate the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, more commonly known as VAWA. Yesterday, President Biden signed it into law. This is a monumental achievement for the survivors of domestic sexual violence and those who stand by them.
It is an achievement that wouldn't have been possible without bipartisan cooperation. It, literally, would not have been possible. I have been proud to work with my three colleagues whom I mentioned.
With this strengthened version of VAWA, we have helped to ensure that every survivor in America, no matter where they live, will be able to reach for a lifeline in a moment of crisis. We have expanded and authorized services for rural survivors, survivors who need culturally specific services, and LGBTQ survivors. We have reauthorized programs that ensure survivors and their families can access housing, healthcare, and essential support services. We have improved rape prevention and education, as well as services and protections for young survivors. We have enhanced critical protections for Native American women and children who experience violence at the hands of non-Native perpetrators.
It doesn't include everything we had hoped for. That is the nature of legislation and compromise. I wish there had been stronger protections for housing and economic assistance, but we had to find an agreement, and we did.
The bill contains several important provisions to help boost enforcement of our gun laws. I wish it would have finally closed the so-called ``boyfriend loophole,'' but that was beyond our reach in this effort.
The lack of those provisions could not attract enough bipartisan support in the Senate to pass on their own. They will be saved for another day.
For nearly 30 years, VAWA has transformed the way we address domestic and sexual violence in America and saved countless lives. At a moment when nearly one in three women--one in three--have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence, a crisis that has grown worse during the pandemic, VAWA is going to help save lives.
Let me tell you a story. My office received a letter from a woman named Kesha, who works with Connections for Abused Women and their Children in Chicago. Kesha told me that VAWA provides funding for domestic violence services at Chicago's Haymarket Center, an amazing agency I know full well.
She shared the story of Cassandra, who was receiving treatment at the Center for Substance Abuse and disclosed to a counselor that she was the victim of abusive treatment. Her counselor referred her to VAWA, and that program gave her an opportunity to ``open up about the emotional, financial, and physical abuse she had suffered for years at the hands of [an] abusive husband.''
Kesha wrote:
After weeks of domestic violence psychoeducation, a supportive network encouraging her, and her own personal resilience, Cassandra decided that if she wanted to remain in recovery and not relapse, [she had to find a new home, away from her abuser.] With the help of her domestic violence counselor, Cassandra was able to break free and transition into temporary housing.
She has been able to gain financial independence and find a job. She has remained on her path to recovery, a success story, and a reminder that VAWA doesn't just help save lives, it gives survivors the power to rebuild their own lives.
VAWA also provides funding for educational programming, and it has done it so well.
I want to thank Senator Feinstein, Senator Ernst, and Senator Murkowski for their partnership and tireless leadership in getting this bill addressed, introduced, and across the finish line.
I want to thank their staff: Jessica Jensen, Senator Feinstein's chief counsel, as well as Nick Xenakis, her former chief counsel; Corey Becker and Kristina Sesek, Senator Ernst's legislative director and general counsel; and Anna Dietderich, Senator Murkowski's legislative assistant.
On my Judiciary Committee staff, I would like to give thanks especially to Stephanie Trifone and Nicole McClain Walton and Chastidy Burns.
I want to thank the other members of the committees of jurisdiction and their staffs, along with Ranking Member Murkowski and the minority staff on the Indian Affairs Committee, chaired by Brian Schatz. They have done an extraordinarily good job, a bipartisan job, when it comes to Native Americans.
Chair Murray and the staff of the HELP Committee, Chair Brown and the staff of the Banking Committee, Chair Wyden and the staff of the Finance Committee were part of this victory.
As you can see, this was a multicommittee team effort on both sides of the aisle, and that is the only reason we can stand here today and say we will continue to give hope to those who are struggling with domestic violence and abuse.
I ask unanimous consent that Senators Ernst, Murkowski, and Feinstein be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each prior to the cloture vote on the Corely nomination.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from Iowa.
Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues Senator Durbin, Senator Feinstein, and Senator Murkowski for joining me on the floor this morning to talk about a very important topic and one that we can finally celebrate, which is the passage and the signing of the Violence Against Women Act.
Nine years--it has been 9 years since the Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized, but, finally, the Senate reauthorized and modernized this very important bill.
Last week, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 passed the House and the Senate, and yesterday, at long last, it was signed into law.
I have been a proud champion of this bill over the last 3 years. And while no bill is perfect, I am extremely grateful for the bipartisan work to get it over the finish line.
This bill is personal. Many of you know my story. I am the one out of three women who has experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
Similarly, one in four men have had the same experience. This means nearly 20 people per minute, more than 10 million women and men in the United States every single year have suffered this horrific personal abuse.
I am not a victim. I am a survivor. It took me a long time to say those words out loud. And my hope is that with this bill some women will never have to, and those who do will have the necessary support and resources in a moment of crisis to cope with and ultimately overcome their trauma.
The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act is a bright light in our current troubling reality.
The bill includes so many critical resources, especially in our rural communities, that have been drastically overlooked.
Specifically, the bill doubles the support for both the rural domestic violence assistance program and the Rape Prevention and Education Program, both of which are of great importance to my home State of Iowa.
And my sincere hope is that the resources contained in this new law will finally help truly move the needle on domestic violence around the country and that some of our Nation's most vulnerable will have access to the support that they so desperately need.
To my colleagues, thank you, especially to Senators Feinstein, Durbin, and Murkowski for your diligent work on domestic violence-
related issues over the years.
I also want to thank Republican Senators Cornyn, Collins, Capito, Portman, Cramer, Tillis, Moran, Burr, and Blunt for supporting this vital bill at introduction.
The negotiations were, at times--my colleagues will recognize this--
very tough, and there were several doubts along the way as to whether the bill would actually ever happen. But with a little bit of tenacity and good-faith negotiating, we got there.
To those who work every day around this great country to help domestic violence survivors, including our law enforcement officers who are answering those domestic violence calls, thank you.
While working at a victim's shelter answering the hotline in college, I heard the heartbreaking stories of abuse. I understand this is your daily reality. Please know your work is not going unnoticed and is making a difference in the lives of those around you.
To all of the advocates, I greatly appreciate and respect your passion for the causes you support. Your persistence made this bill possible, and it made this bill better.
While the end result isn't perfect, it modernizes the resources necessary to meet the evolving needs of our survivors.
This bill is proof that bipartisanship is not dead and Congress can tackle these tough issues.
Finally, for my fellow Americans who can say they are survivors, for those who have not come to terms with their abuse and for those who feel trapped in their situation and for those who have lost their battle, please know that you are not and will never be forgotten. The Violence Against Women Act is for you.
Today, I join my fellow survivors, my colleagues, and our strong and wonderful advocates across this country in celebrating VAWA's reauthorization and its modernization.
Thank you to my dear colleagues for their wonderful work in helping us get this over the finish line.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I so appreciate the leadership, the heart of Senator Ernst and the ability to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle--Senator Durbin, Senator Feinstein--in this effort towards reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Thanks to the very open, very inclusive, and, really, a very transparent process that we followed, the bipartisan support that was built with this, we were able to include the VAWA reauthorization in the Omnibus appropriations bill that passed the Senate last week with 68 votes.
That wasn't necessarily the path that we had set on. But we had work to do, again, with extraordinary leadership from Senator Ernst, Senator Durbin, Senator Feinstein, myself, who have been working on this for years, but trying to build that collaborative effort, that negotiated effort that would result in not a partisan bill but a bill that is designed to help those survivors, designed to help the most vulnerable at their time of need.
So there is great thanks that is due this afternoon as we recognize the dedication, the leadership of, again, the cosponsors, the Members that led this, but we all know we are backed by incredible men and women who work very hard to get these initiatives built and across the finish line.
Senator Durbin has named many of the staffs and general counsels, our legislative assistants that made this happen.
I also want to recognize all those who were named, in addition to those who are working on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to help us with that Tribal title. It was a collaborative effort that was really, really tireless.
And I want to acknowledge Senator Ernst particularly. She worked tirelessly over these last 3 years, working to ensure that women and their safety--and, really, all those who are most vulnerable--their safety is put first.
But to Senator Feinstein, Senator Durbin--invaluable partners putting the politics aside, saying: We have to figure out how we are going to make this happen, and they did so.
But we and our staff can't do near the job that needs to be done without the advocacy and, again, this passionate grassroots advocacy that we have all felt.
I want to recognize women like Tami Jerue from the Alaskan Native Women's Resource Center; Michelle Demmert, Brenda Stanfield from the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence. There were so many who urged us along--in fact, so many who have flown 4,000 miles to come from Alaska to be at a ceremony at the White House in recognition of this.
So Senator Ernst has said how personal this issue of domestic violence is, and it is for so many. Half the women--half the women--in the State of Alaska have experienced intimate partner, sexual violence, or both.
The advocates know, I know, we know how imperative it is for Congress to take action to reauthorize and to modernize this almost three-
decades-old law.
Again, we don't want to talk about statistics because these are people--these are friends, these are mothers, daughters--but the statistics are just so in your face.
Alaska Native women suffer the highest rate of forcible sexual assault and have reported rates of domestic violence up to 10 times higher than the national average.
In so many of the Native villages in my State in rural Alaska, they have no law enforcement presence; so trying to prevent violence, trying to protect or ensure justice for survivors is hard.
And so I really am very, very thankful for the work that Senator Schatz committed to within the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to put together a strong Tribal title in VAWA that would continue to empower Tribal courts to help combat this major public safety issue affecting Native people and children.
We have got a pretty complex jurisdictional landscape as the result of our Native Claims Settlement Act, and the last time that VAWA was reauthorized in 2013, Alaska was effectively left out. But today, we have an Alaska solution to this jurisdictional maze. We call it the Alaska Public Safety Empowerment pilot project that was included in the Tribal title, and it is the product of years of work with Tribal advocates, with the Department of Justice--some pretty smart lawyers out there--and then good, strong work in the committee.
And what this pilot program will do is supplement the work that the State of Alaska is doing with regard to public safety. It doesn't create Indian Country in the State, it doesn't take away any jurisdiction, but it will empower a limited number of Alaska Tribes to exercise this special criminal jurisdiction over defendants who commit certain crimes that we outline in the law that occur in Native villages in the State.
Tribes selected to participate are going to have to meet specific criteria that are set by the Department of Justice. They will have to include a Tribal justice system that can adequately safeguard the right of all defendants.
So I am optimistic. I believe that our Alaska Tribes are up to this job. They are going to be good partners with the State, and they will make a difference. They will make a difference, and they will provide hope to so many in these communities that have felt without hope.
We are celebrating, again, passage of this law--the reauthorization, the modernization. But for so many who have shown the bravery, the strength, the resilience in the wake of unspeakable trauma--we know that so many, again, of our friends have endured domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking. Many have survived, but so many have not.
These women have endured physical, mental, emotional abuse. The impacts don't necessarily fade away because the calendar moves on; but on their journeys to recovery and healing, many have developed an extraordinary inner strength to stand up and be advocates for themselves and others, and they have spoken about their abuse, they have sought the changes to VAWA to prevent the future tragedies and hold perpetrators accountable, and we have heard them and their pleas to improve access to essential support services, whether healthcare, safe housing for victims--but we have also heard the cries of parents and loved ones who lost those that they love so very much.
I am thinking of Butch and Cindy Moore right now. Butch and Cindy are from Wasilla. They have spent--I swear, they have spent every moment of their lives since they lost their beautiful daughter Bree, 20 years old. They have been advocating for prevention efforts to ensure that no parent experiences the loss of their child to teen dating violence.
Butch and Cindy have said:
As parents who have experienced the devastation of losing our daughter, Bree Moore, to dating violence, we know prevention is the key to keeping future generations safe from interpersonal violence.
I know that Butch and Cindy are looking at this day and feeling that, again, there is some hope. There is some hope.
This is a legislative win, but I think it is also a victory--a victory for women everywhere--and we mark its passage in memory of both those that we have lost and those that have survived.
This is the day where we recognize that this Congress can act in a bipartisan manner to address the crisis of violence in our communities by passing this reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which is now law, now helping to protect women in Alaska and across the country, and we thank all who helped us get here.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today also in recognition of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022.
I am delighted President Biden signed it into law yesterday as part of the omnibus spending bill.
It is important to know that this bill reauthorizes critical programs that help respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It is long overdue, but today, this bill will become law.
Last month, I introduced this reauthorization bill alongside Senators Ernst, Durbin--both of whom are on the floor today--Murkowski, who is also here today, and additional cosponsors.
A number of advocates joined us, including Angelina Jolie, to speak about the importance of the legislation.
The bill we introduced and the bill we are passing today has really strong bipartisan support, including that of 11 Republican cosponsors.
In addition to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act through 2027, the law includes bringing it up to date, and that is important. It means that existing programs will be able to do an even better job protecting and supporting survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
It is the result of a truly bipartisan effort, and I want to thank Senators Ernst, Durbin--both are on the floor--particularly Senator Murkowski, for working with me to prepare this important piece of legislation. I am very appreciative of the partnership because the law will become a reality. We also had help from a number of our Senate colleagues on both side of the aisle who made important contributions to the effort.
This act plays a critical role supporting law enforcement in their efforts to stop these perpetrators before it is too late. It reauthorizes important programs and provides the necessary updates to strengthen them.
So what does it do?
First, it enhances and expands services for survivors, including survivors in rural communities, LGBT survivors, survivors with disabilities, and survivors who experience abuse later in life. Older people get a lot of violence.
It strengthens the criminal justice response to domestic violence, including by improving the Justice Department's STOP grant program and strengthening the ability of Tribal courts to address instances of domestic violence on Tribal lands.
It also establishes a pilot program that focuses on addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through community-based, victim-initiated efforts to seek accountability.
And the law invests in prevention education efforts that will improve the healthcare system's response to sexual violence--we hope.
And these changes can have a real impact. Here is one example: The International Association of Forensic Nurses reports that only one in four U.S. hospitals has a sexual assault forensic nurse on duty--not a special place but even one nurse on duty. Our bipartisan law remedies this problem by providing additional funding and training to increase access to forensic nurses, particularly in rural areas, where, strangely enough, a lot of this violence takes place.
Through this bipartisan law, we will make significant improvements to our Nation's response to domestic violence, but I want to caution everybody, it isn't perfect.
I really regret that certain provisions were unable to be included in this bill. In particular, I had hoped we could include a provision to close the boyfriend loophole. Most people don't know that while individuals convicted of domestic violence against a spouse are prevented from purchasing a firearm, that is not the case for those convicted of domestic violence against a dating partner. We tried to get that part passed, and it is very disappointing that there was not sufficient bipartisan support for this provision to close what will remain a dangerous loophole.
So, clearly, we still have work to do. There are those of us who follow these assaults carefully and make a determination where this bill works and where it might need improvement, and I have just suggested one. So we will watch those figures carefully.
I would like to thank the many advocates who provided valuable input and support. This bill was written in close consultation with the people who are on the frontlines helping survivors of domestic violence every day.
For nearly 30 years, the Violence Against Women Act has played a vital role in the Federal response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As Katie Ray-Jones, the CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, noted, the Violence Against Women Act provides services with ``a variety of options to meet their evolving and complex needs for services and support.'' For example, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, in a single day in 2020, there were 76,525 survivors, in 1 day 75,000 women were affected by domestic violence who received assistance thanks to programs funded and supported by the Violence Against Women Act.
So despite the progress made over the last three decades, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse are still painful realities for far too many Americans. We need to say this over and over again. We need to change minds and change actions.
More than one in three women and more than one in four men will experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in my home State of California, approximately 35 percent of California women and 31 percent of California men will experience violence from intimate partners in their lifetimes. That is an amazing figure, if you think about it.
In conclusion, let me end with this: All too often, these instances of domestic violence have fatal consequences. Every day, people are killed by a current or former intimate partner. This law is long overdue.
And I want to thank the Members who have spoken on the floor and all those who voted for this law. We are glad to get it signed into law and hope to put an end to some of this.
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 47
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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