Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 211
SEP-07-2000 10:43 P.02/03 "CO 10.69 FAR JORIFY MEMBERS MINCRITY MEMOERS MERRY J. HYDE, RANOIS CHAIRMAN JOHN CONVIDES. JL MICHIGAN P.JAMES SENSENBRENNER. JR., WISCONSIN ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS BARNEY FRANK, MASSACHUSETTS BALL McCOLLUM. ELORIDA HOWARD L BEAMAN. CALIBORNIA CEORGE w. CEKAS PENNSYLVANIA MOWARD COOLE. HORTH CAROLINA ELTON GALLEGLY. CALIFORNIA Congress of the United States JERROLD HADLER. NEW YORK LAMAR a GRITH. TEXAS AGGERT C. "BOBBY" SCOTT. VIRGINIA MELVIN L WAYT. NORTH CAROLINA CHARLEST. CANADY. ELORIDA ZOE LONGREN, CALIFORNIA BOB CODELATTE VIRCANIA SYRVE CHARDT. OHIO House of Representations EMEILA JACKSON LES. TEMAS MAXINE WATERS. CALIFORNIA DOB BARR GEORGIA MARTH T. MCEMAN, MAS BACNUEETTS WILLIAMSL JENEINE. TENNESSEE WILLIAM D. DELAMUNT. MASKACHUSETTS ASA WUTCHINSON. ARKANSAS COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY MOBERT WELLER, PLORIDA SOWARD a TABE. INDIANA STEVEN R ROTHMAN, NEW JERSEY EMRIS CANMON. UTAH TAMMY BALOWIN, WISCONSIN 2138 PLAYSURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING JAMES B. ROCAR, CALIFORNIA AUTHONY a WEINER NEW YORK UNDER a CRANAM, BOUTH CAROLINA MARV GOND. CALIFORNIA WASHINGTON. DC 20515-6215 STENCER BACHUE ALABAMA JOE BCARBORQUOU, PLORIDA THOMAS E. MOCNEY, EA JULIAN DETEN DAVID VITTER, LOUISIANA OCHERAL COUNSEL-CHE OF STAFF (202) 225-3957 MINORITY COLDREL AND STATE DIRECTOR JON DUDAS DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL- STAFF DREETOR September 6, 2000 The Honorable Dennis Hastert Speaker United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Speaker Hastert: We write to request that you bring H.R. 1248, the Violence Against Women Act ("VAWA") of 2000, introduced by Representative Convie Morella of Maryland, before the full House for consideration as soon as possible. As you may be aware, on July 27, 2000 the Committee on the Judiciary approved this legislation favorably, by a voice vote. H.R. 1248 would reauthorize programs authorized by Title IV of the Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law No. 103-322) through 2005, make a number of technical improvements to the programs reauthorized, and includes a number of provisions addressing the following issues: domestic violence and sexual assault against older and disabled individuals; civil legal assistance needs of victims; supervised and safe visitation exchange of children; violence and abuse of women with disabilities; uniform standards for sexual assault examinations, and, establishment of a domestic violence task force to minimize overlapping federal efforts to address domestic violence. During the last six years the programs authorized by VAWA have made a crucial difference in the lives of many victims of domestic violence as well as their children. While in general crime rates are down nationally, domestic violence remains a serious problem in our society, occurring in all communities and crossing ethnic, racial, age, and socioeconomic lines. Domestic violence is also devastating for children, who often suffer emotional or developmental effects from experiencing or witnessing family violence. We must continue to support comprehensive community-based efforts to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable, and reauthorizing VAWA programs through passage and enactment of HR. 1248 will further efforts to do just that.