american women who face inequality and injustice for so many arenas of life, from a massive wage gap to pregnancy discrimination to sexual harassment in the worse place that have worsened during the coronavirus. passing this resolution and then the e.r.a. will not only help women. by unleashing the full economic potential of women, doing so will help families and boost our economy all the while advancing justice and equality in america for everyone. with that, i urge a strong bipartisan vote on this strong step toward equality for women progress, for families and a stronger america, affirming the truth, madam speaker, that you have espoused when women succeeds america succeeds. with that i, again, commend the leadership on this issue, the distinguished chairman, the sponsor of the resolution, jackie speier, carolyn maloney, and yield back the balance of my

time. . mr. gnat letter: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from georgia, mrs. mcbath, control the balance of the time on our side. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman will control the balance of the time. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i yield four minutes to the gentlewoman from missouri. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from missouri. >> thank you, madam speaker. mrs. hartzler: i rise to celebrate the achievements women have made and reaffirm we are already equal under current law. women represent 51% of the population. comprise over half of college students. make up the majority of medical and law school students. and run 12.3 million women-owned businesses. little girls can be whatever they want to be whether that be a astronaut, doctor, full-time mom working at home, or a member of congress.

the e.r.a. would not add to the rights already guaranteed by the 14th amendment equal protection clause, but it could jeopardize them. how? two ways. first, by making it discriminatory to offer benefits to women not offered to men. women scholarships, women's colleges, job protection for pregnant women, and safe spaces may all be on the chopping block. when the equal rights amendment was first propose add century ago, many women's rights advocates recognize the negative ramifications it would bring. in fact, future first lady eleanor roosevelt expressed concerns that legislation protecting women in the workplace could be eliminated should the e.r.a. become part of the u.s. constitution. secondly, because the 1972 definition of sex as male and female is no longer accepted by many today, and instead will require new protections for sexual orientation and gender

identity. this is a path that has already proven to be a threat to women's privacy, safety, and equality. don't take it from me. talk to the nine women in california who were sexually harassed in a women's shelter by a biological male identifying as a woman. the equal rights amendment would not only codify inequality for women but also destroy the rights of the unborn. e.r.a. advocates have been unequivocal about their support for abortion and using the e.r.a. to overturn pro-life laws. courts have already used state versions of the e.r.a. to force taxpayers to fund abortions. a federal e.r.a. would threaten state pro-life laws, federal protections like the hyde amendment, and conscience protections for american medical professionals who may otherwise be forced to perform an abortion. fortunately, the time limit to pass the e.r.a. expired decades ago, and there is agreement

that congress cannot go back and remove a deadline from a previous constitutional amendment initiative. for example, the supreme court has already recognized that the 1972 e.r.a. expired, and the department of justice issued a ruling saying, congress may not revive a proposed amendment after a deadline for its ratification has expired. just over a week ago a federal district ruled that the deadline to ratify the e.r.a. quote, expired long ago, unquote. and the recent ratifications of the amendment arrived, quote, too late to count, unquote. pretending we can remove the deadline for passage is both futile and deceptive. the e.r.a. is a threat to the historical strides women have made. it will eradicate state and federal pro-life laws and policies, and the process is blatantly unconstitutional. i urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution and instead

uphold the constitution, promote life, and protect women's rights. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the chair recognizes the the gentlewoman from georgia. mrs. mcbath: madam speaker, yield minute to our esteemed leader of the house, representative hoyer. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentlelady from georgia for yielding. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland. mr. hoyer: thank you very much, madam speaker. madam speaker, as we celebrate women's history month, we do so with an awareness that so much work in the fight for equality remains. much has been accomplished. but much remains to be done. this is one of those. that's what the house is focusing on this week, women's equality. women's safety and justice, and women's opportunity. i'm proud that we are taking action to re-authorize the

violence against women act within the first three months of the new congress. i was a co-sponsor and proud of it of the original 1994 violence against women act. repassed the original vawa on a bipartisan basis. and re-authorized it with bipartisan support in 2000 and again in 2005. those were overwhelming votes. 371-1. and 415-4. we are talking about the equal rights amendment. i understand. in 2013 we did it again on vawa. 87 republicans joining all 199 members in the house vote. every time we re-authorized the law, we made it stronger, ensuring protections for more women who were victimized by domestic abuse, stalking, and

other crimes. last congress our house democratic majority passed a vawa re-authorization that included these expanded protections, but senate republicans blocked it from consideration. not that they offered an alternative. not to say this is a problem, we need to solve it. it has been bipartisan. and so here's our view and we will go to conference on it. they simply blocked it. it is essential, madam speaker, that congress take action with a long-term re-authorization of vawa made all the more critical by the rise in domestic violence we have seen during the covid-19 pandemic. and more people having to stay home. a epidemic of domestic violence. let's send a message to the women and men of america that congress will continue to do its part to root out domestic violence and abuse.

i just was with jackson lee, congresswoman jackson lee sponsor and chair of the criminal justice committee. chairman nadler is now speaking. and i said then and as i say now, it's critical that we pass that legislation. i agree with president biden, the author of the original 1994 violence against women's act. strengthening and renewing vawa is long past due. once we pass it in the house, i hope the senate will send it quickly to president biden to sign it into law. madam speaker, i'm speaking on both vawa, obviously, and the e.r.a. two very critically important pieces of legislation. last year, virginia became the 38th state to ratify the equal rights amendment. when i hear the opposition to

the equal rights amendment, you would think that we were organizing to defeat women's rights. i think some of these speeches were written by louis carroll. after virginia passed and became the 38th state, the house passed a resolution to affirm that with virginia's action, the equal rights amendment had been duel added to our constitution as the 28th amendment. however, the republican-led senate refused to do the same. now with the democratic-led senate, i'm hopeful congress can affirm the adoption of that amendment and provide strong legal backing to those seeking to have it recognized by our courts as a full part of our constitution.

what little faith we demonstrate in the courts of the united states of america when it's going to be interpreted according to some as not affirming equal rights for women, but somehow undermining equal rights. that's why i say i think these speeches weritien by louis carroll. the amendment simply states, as i'm sure has been said, equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or by any state on account of sex. how can that be misinterpreted to say somehow we are enunciating a proposition that would undermine rather than protect and lift up the rights of women. it's a long overdue that we as a nation affirm this truth that all men and women are created

equal. not the same, quite obviously, but equal. endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. madam speaker, the late justice ruth bader ginsberg, the famous, she would say from time to time, infamous, r.b.g., said this, i would like to see my granddaughters -- i have two granddaughters, and i have three great granddaughters. and ruth bader ginsberg said i would like to see my granddaughters when they pick up the constitution to see the notion that women and men are persons of equal stature. i'd like them to see that this is a basic principle of our society.

that's what this amendment is about. it should have been passed two centuries ago. but it's never too late to do the right thing. we can make a major step forward this week to make that happen by passing the bipartisan resolution offered representative jackie speier and tom reed. i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting both h.j.res. 17 and the re-authorization of the violence against women act. both will articulate our concern for women, for mothers, for daughters, for sisters, for neighbors, for friends. we have a chance this week to send a message that congress

will not tolerate violence or discrimination against women. and we have an opportunity to mark this women's history month not just with words but with actions that mean something. by making history in a very positive way, benefiting not only women but our nation as a whole. i urge all my colleagues to support these two very important pieces of legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. >> madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from new york, mr. nadler, control the balance of the time on our side. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will control the balance of the time. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from

rhode island, mr. cicilline. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from rhode island. mr. cicilline: madam speaker, every person regardless of sex must be treated equally under the law. house resolution 17 re-affirms this core american value. it makes clear the arbitrary deadline of the equal rights amendment may not stand in the way of achieving full equality for women. with women losing their jobs at disproportionately high rates, the covid-19 pandemic has only further revealed the need for this amendment. in 2020 american women lost more than five million jobs. a vote for this resolution is a vote for equal access to health care. it's a vote for equal pay for the same work. a vote for equal opportunity and basic human rights and all other aspects of life for women in this country. congress must act now to remove this arbitrary deadline. there must be no time limit on guaranteeing equal rights under the law. i urge my colleagues to support house resolution 17. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from minnesota.

mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from california. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. >> nearly a half century ago congress passed the equal rights amendment and send sent it to the states with a seven year deadline for ratification. when that deadline expired in 1979, it was three states short of passage. many states rejected it because it was dumive -- duplicative of the 5 and 14th amendments of the constitution. our constitution already guarantees that all americans receive equal protection under the law and these proprovisions have driven our progress as a society. mr. mcclintock: more importantly many felt the e.r.a. would unleash a crippling avalanche of activist legislation that could have unforeseen and unintended implications ranging from abortion to freedom of conscience and freedom of

speech. now today 50 years after its adoption, the democrats proposed retroactively amend the e.r.a. to remove its deadline. they argue that congress can alter amendments that is sent to the states even a half century later and yet still count their ratification votes from a half century ago. . this would allow them to add three states that ratified long after the deadline was passed for the very amendment that established that deadline. of course, they don't explain how to deal with the five states that have since rescinded their ratification votes. the courts have already ruled against this approach as brazenly unconstitutional. as ruth bader ginsburg, an ardent supporter of the e.r.a., pointed out a few years ago, if you count a late comer on the plus side, how can you disregard states that said we changed our minds, unquote.

if the majority were serious, they would reintroduce the e.r.a. and debate it openly and constitutionally, as justice ginsburg suggested. they won't because they know that in the nearly half century that passed since the e.r.a. was proposed, the world itself has passed them by. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. mcclintock: i yield back. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from texas, ms. garcia. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from texas. ms. garcia: thank you, madam speaker. as a young woman in texas, i marched with hundreds of other women in support of the equal rights amendment. today, i stand with all my colleagues here to affirm or support for women's equality. women are behind some of the nation's greatest achievements. we flew across the atlantic, fought for civil rights, set

athletic records, sent men to space, and then went there ourselves. we have forced our own path and put many cracks in the glass ceiling. but there's still much more to do. women deserve equality. [speaking spanish] i strongly urge my colleagues to vote yes on house resolution 17. i yield back. ndaa ndaa -- mr. nadler: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. nadler: i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from massachusetts, mrs. trahan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. mrs. trahan: madam speaker, i rise in support of the full equal rights amendment and debunk some of the stuff spouted from our colleagues across the aisle. this is not about special rights, not about preferential

treatment. it's about finally guaranteeing equal rights, plain and simple. critics of the e.r.a. would know that if they read the legislation. it's right there for us to see. equalities shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or by any state on account of sex. period. everyone in this capitol has a mother and some of us are blessed to have daughters. this amendment is about them. it's about completing the work of generations of women before us who marched for full equality and it's about finishing that journey so that the next generation will experience nothing other than full and fair rights under the law. i urge my colleagues to give our daughters that chance. join us and pass this resolution. i yield back. mr. nadler: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now

yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from michigan, mrs. lawrence. mrs. lawrence: thank you. madam speaker, i rise today in strong support of removing this arbitrary time limit for ratifying the equal rights amendment. i ask all my colleagues, are we going to tell our mothers, our sisters, daughters, nieces, and granddaughters that there's an expiration date on equality? i hope that answer is no. this pandemic has only worsened the inequality that women are facing, especially women of color. making the equal rights amendment part of our constitution guarantees that men and women are truly treated equal under the law. today, the house can send a clear message that we will not tolerate sexual discrimination, that gender equality should be

the law of the land. and i yield back. mr. nadler: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from florida, ms. wasserman schultz. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, madam speaker. today, we confront one of america's lindhering legacies of discrimination. -- lindering legacies of discrimination. as a second class citizen, we couldn't vote or have our own property. we face actual or imminent threats of violence or harassment daily. but the equal rights amendment rejects that. after over a century, the e.r.a. is on the cusp of ratification, and we finally have a president who will make this long overdue provision of our constitution a reality. women's rights should not depend on which party is in power. these basic fundamental rights must be guaranteed. we must secure equality for women under the law, in our constitution and in our daily

lives. if we want a hand a more perfect union over to our daughters -- and i have two -- this women's history month, let's seize the month and end sex discrimination once and for all all -- and for all. i yield back. mr. nadler: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from connecticut, ms. delauro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from connecticut is recognized for one minute. ms. delauro: for nearly50 years our -- nearly 50 years, our country has strived to make women's rights a value in the united states constitution through the equal rights amendment. women deserve nothing less than equal treatment. whether it be equal pay for equal work or freedom from discrimination, freedom from sexual assault, freedom from domestic violence. and the equal rights amendment

will help to fill those gaps. we now have enough states for that to become the law of the land. this resolution will help clear the path for this much-needed change, and i urge my colleagues to support this important resolution so that every woman, every girl can have equal justice under the law. and i ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle -- what are you afraid of? why? why can you not affirm equal rights for women in the united states of america? it is not a hard mountain to climb, but it says every woman, every girl can have equal justice under the law. thank you and i yield back. mr. nadler: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now

yield two minutes to the distinguished -- madam speaker, we're prepared to close. actually, madam speaker -- ok, we're prepared to close. mrs. fischbach: and madam speaker, we are also. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i oppose h.j.res. 17, and i believe that the speakers we had here today on our side have agreed with that and made very, very effective points on why to oppose this bill. the men and women are already equal under the constitution. this legislation would make us no more equal.

it is merely a vehicle for the far left's special interest groups to use to enact their pro-abortion agenda. it is unconstitutional. it is unnecessary, and it should not become law. with that, madam speaker, i urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, alice paul's equal rights amendment was introduced in both houses of congress way back in 1923. but 96 years later, the united states constitution still does not explicitly declare that women have equal rights under the law. we are the only western democracy without such a clause in its constitution. today, we have an opportunity to rectify that glaring omission. the arbitrary deadline for ratification that congress imposed and later extended can

be just as easily removed, and that is all this legislation does. it can be just as easily removed because it is not part of the amendment, as some of our republican friends said. every amendment since the 22nd amendment, except for the 27th, has had such a clause, and if you look at the text of the constitution, it's not there. that's because the deadline is part of the resolution proposing the constitutional amendment, not part of the constitutional amendment, and if congress can establish a deadline by resolution, it can certainly by resolution extend our change -- or change the deadline and that's all this bill does. adopting the e.r.a. would bring our country closer to truly fulfilling our values of inclusion and equal opportunity for all people. adopting this legislation would help make this a reality. i urge all members to support this bill.

i urge all members to support this bill, and i yield two minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from texas, ms. jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from texas is recognized for two minutes. ms. jackson lee: let me thank the chairman for his kindness. let me thank the manager for your kindness as well in yielding. thank you, madam speaker. i ask to revise and extend my remarks. we have just been engaged in presenting to the public the violence against women act, but all of it stands on the shoulders of the equal rights amendment, which has been long overdue. what an amazing journey that this legislation has taken and how sad it is to acknowledge that we are one of only few nations that does not have an equal rights amendment in its constitution. i remember going to afghanistan and working with the women of afghanistan to include the rights of women in their constitution. i want to say that again. to include the rights of women

in their constitution. so let me speak clearly to vital points of this bill. this is not an abortion bill. however, we realize that the right to choose is embedded in the constitution in the ninth amendment. but this is not that. it is a bill that says that women has a right, as alice paul said so many years ago, to be able to have rights of equality under this flag, under this constitution. are we suggesting that should not be? in addition, let it be very clear that any court decision that was issued, the u.s. district -- the district court -- the district of columbia, that is the commonwealth of virginia vs. ferriera, we can explain that case, because the court said the only authority to extend the deadline was congress and here we are. congress is now intending to extend that deadline. nothing in the constitution prohibits that. it is not embedded in the

amendment. and by article 5, we are able to deal with deadlines. deadlines are a simple process of statutory authority, and that is what we're doing today. i don't think my friends on the other side of the aisle want to recognize that women get 80 cents an hour, are treated unequal in the workplace. you want women to be promoted, vote for the e.r.a. i thank the speaker. i thank the chairman. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: i thank the gentlewoman for her courtesy. and i now yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: all time for debate has expired. pursuant to house resolution 233, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the engrossment and third reading of the joint resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. third reading. the clerk: joint resolution

removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on passage of the joint resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the joint resolution is passed. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. .

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york, mr. nadler, seek recognition? mr. nadler: madam speaker, pursuant to house resolution 233, i call up h.r. 1620, the violence against women re-authorization act of 2021, and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1620, a bill to re-authorize the violence against women act of 1994, and for other purposes.

the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 233, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of rules committee print 117-3, modified by the amendment, printed in part a of house report 117-12, is adopted and the bill as amended is considered as read. the bill as amended shall be debatable for one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the committee on the judiciary or their respective designees. the gentleman from new york, mr. nadler, and the gentlewoman from minnesota, mrs. fischbach, each will control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. nadler. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on h.r. 1620. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i yield myself three minutes. madam speaker, the violence against women act or vawa, was

signed into law in 1994 to help ensure that women in america are free from violence and free from fear. at the time vawa was enacted it was all too common for violent crims against women to go without appropriate response and remain unaddressed by the criminal justice system. through programs implemented under vawa, congress began to help provide communities in america the assistance they need to combat the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. building on this success, h.r. 1620 is bipartisan legislation that re-authorizes and strengthens the violence against women act so that it can continue delivering vital services to those in need. vawa, which is not gender exclusive, addresses the needs of womenmen and women, children, personses with disabilities, homeless persons, and lgbtq individuals, among others. this re-authorization would also increase access to grant programs for culturally

specific organizations and ensure that such organizations are included in the development and implementation of service, education, training, and other grants. the range of individuals vawa helps is broad. and should be as diverse as our communities around the country. i am pleased this re-authorization continues our commitment to this principle. vawa has had and continues to have a positive impact op people who rely on its assistance, whether directly or indirectly. through grants to state and local governments, the office on violence against women and the department of justice funds the work of thousands of advocates in preventing and addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. and then assisting in training law enforcement and victim advocates. in addition, grants administered through the department of health and human services provide funds for shelters, rape prevention, and education, programs to address and reduce the sexual abuse of run away and homeless youth, and programs to educate the community on domestic violence.

the reach of the work carried out under vawa is vast. we must continue to support it. this legislation expands services for older survivors of abuse and for programs targeting rural areas. it also expand the jurisdiction of tribal authorities over nonindians who commit certain crimes on tribal lands to ensure that they are held accountable. like the legislation the house passed last congress, it also includes provisions protecting trand transgender individuals and bans individuals convicted of domestic abuse from purchasing firearms. the violence against women act re-authorization act is comprehensive and inclusive legislation that i hope will earn further bipartisan support in the long tradition of this vital law. i want to thank the gentlewoman from texas, ms. jackson lee, the chair of the crime subcommittee and sponsor of this legislation, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. fitzpatrick, for their outstanding leadership in the effort to re-authorize vawa. i also want to thank the

advocates, many of whom are survivors themselves, for the countless hours they have put into improving this legislation. their efforts and those of many other -- yield an additional 15 seconds. their efforts and those of many other members have produced this important bill that will not only continue the progress enabled by vawa as originally enacted, but will also make the act an even more effective tool in addressing the horrible scourge of domestic violence. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: thank you, madam speaker. i thank the representative from new york. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. madam speaker, the violence against women act was first signed into law almost 30 years ago. with wide bipartisan support. the law recognizes that federal laws covering domestic violence could help ease overburdened states and local criminal justice systems. it was narrowly defined and not

controversial. since its passage, it has been re-authorized on a bipartisan basis. unfortunately, in recent years democrats have politicized the law, straying farther and farther away from its original intent. this bill, h.r. 1620, is a continuation of the democrats' politicization expanding and altering the fundamental nature of the violence against women act. the most significant change in this re-authorization effort is that it eases -- excuse me, erases important distinction between women and men. it replaces violence against women with a person of any gender. extending the law's protections well past the narrowly defined and necessary protection for women. this rewriting of the violence against women act not only undermines the original intent of this legislation, it also jeopardizes the safety and well-being of women at risk.

it does more to violence the -- advance the democrats' aggressive agenda than it does to protect women. it's not just that vawa, the democrats' entire radical agenda hurts women. calls to defund, dismantle, rethink local law enforcement hurt at-risk women. never-ending government lockdowns require battered and abused women to stay in violent household, hurts women. southern border open to dangerous drug cartel and human traffickers caused by president biden's border crisis hurts women. in fact, the democrats' open border policies incentivize women to make the dangerous trip to the u.s.-mexican border on which 1/p of women -- 1/3 of women report being sexual abused. those are not the only problems. h.r. 1620 also threatens america's constitutional right to religious freedom. the bill denies faith-based exemptions for vawa grant

recipients, prohibiting religious organizations from running shelters and legal aid centers on the basis of their sincerely held religious beliefs. the democrats' culture war could actually force faith-based centers for abused women to close. h.r. 1620 also expands the definition of domestic violence to include and emotional duress. pulling funding away from combating the violent crimes. this legislation disregards the well-being of women by promoting lofty concepts such as restorative justice. approaches to crimes against women. which are unproven and could force a woman to confront her abuser. democrats know that these are unnecessary additions that jeopardize the bipartisan re-authorization. so why are they choosing to proceed? why are they putting forward this bill with no hearings, no markups in this congress? at the expense of women's safety and well-being? any crime or abuse against any

single individual is abhorrent. state and federal laws already protect individuals, women, and men from domestic violence and sexual abuse, and any related reprehensible acts like dating violence and stalking. resources should be targeted to help those women and individuals cope and recover and also prevent further violence and abuse. this bill falls short of that goal and wildly distorts the original purpose of this law. i urge all members to oppose this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield three minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from texas, ms. jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from texas is recognized for three minutes. ms. jackson lee: i thank the gentleman. i thank him for his leadership. madam speaker, i stand today in a moment of history where we cannot go back.

have we heard that before? women cannot go back. women cannot continue in an intimidated fashion to tragically be subjected to men who violently attacked them. lgbt community cannot go back. and be subjected to those to be violent against them. native american women, they cannot go back. they cannot go back. they cannot go back from pueblos and reservations and not have any protection for those who violate, those sacred place, rape them, and rush to jurisdictions outside and think they are protected. immigrant women cannot go back. that is what this legislation is about. it is a product born of meticulous and thoughtful research and countless engagement with those on the groundworking ultimately and intimately on these very important issues daily.

we began this long journey and hard fought battle under the leadership of republicans. i wrote the bill in 2018 who at the time refused to engage in putting forward their own version of vawa when it expired in 2018 while they held the majority. the president, the senate, the house they did nothing. the judiciary committee would not even take the bill up. and it was supported by over 200 groups. but we continue to push forward on behalf of all victims and survivors to re-authorize the violence against women's act of 1994 first led by the president of the united states, then senator joe biden. as we all know, vawa is a landmark piece of legislation first enacted in 1994. at that time the president was bill clinton. this legislation was enactsed in response to the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence anti-significant impact of such violence on the lives of women. statistics have revealed that this form of violence impacts us all. in the united states an

estimated 10 million people experienced domestic violence every year, more than 15 million children are exposed to their violence annually. according to the national coalition against domestic violence, about 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate part nemplet about one in four women, one in nine women experience sexual violence and partner stalking injury. today in texas 345% of the women -- 35% of the women and 34% of men are subjected to domestic violence. when discussing vawa we cannot forget the victims. like a woman murdered in harris county just after christmas by her husband one day after last year while she was trying to escape a relationship and he shot at her son. nor can we forget deborah who was murdered by her husband in houston after an argument. there are countless stories about -- stories like this. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. jackson lee: that's why it's imperative we re-authorize

this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. jackson lee: we must pass h.r. 1620 now. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentlewoman is no longer recognized. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you to the gentlelady from minnesota. thank you, madam speaker. democrats are using domestic violence, which is a serious issue, as a front for just their latest gun control bill. mr. good: this legislation contains red flag conif iization language and expands the grounds for lifetime bans of firearm possession. red flag gun confiscation laws upend due process. under this legislation an individual could have their guns removed from them without having the chance to face their accuser in court. that means a complaint and

judicial order could suspend a actually guaranteed right with no chance for the accused to respond under the law. this legislation makes it clear that democrats consider gun ownership a second class right, if it's a right at all, and view the constitution as a negotiable suggestion. this bill would expand the number of nonviolent neam -- misdemeanor offenses that produce a lifetime ban on firearm ownership which is already applied to felons. . it's ironic that in the week they are vote really for amnesty for apple liens -- aliens. i oppose this attempt to undermine due process, further restrict the second amendment, and expand the left's radical and relentless gun control agenda. and i yield back my time to the lady from minnesota.

mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from pennsylvania, ms. scanlon. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. ms. scanlon: madam speaker, before coming to congress, i organized volunteered lawyers to represent survivors of domestic abuse. so i've seen firsthand both the need for the violence against women act and the remarkable impact of legal representation in moments of crisis. that's why i'm proud to support re-authorization of vawa, which would, among other things, expand access to legal council for -- counsel for those who need it the most. most are left to navigate finding housing, medical or other things in the aftermath of trauma, the process can be hard to manage. legal representation in these critical moments can make a

life-changing difference. that's why i'm proud to offer two amendments to vawa today. the first would expand efforts to provide counsel in relief proceedings. everyone deserves access to quality legal representation for fundamental needs, and this bill gets us one step closer to this goal. i urge my colleagues to support the amendments and the underlying legislation and i yield back. mr. nadler: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from ohio. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> protecting girls and women from violence and abuse and keeping them safe is deeply important to me and members on both sides of the aisle. mr. chabot: shortly before i was elected to congress back in 1994, president bill clinton signed into law the violence

against women act. it was the first iteration of a very good bill, which, if you can believe it, passed the house then by a voice vote. it was supported by all but four in the senate. when it was re-authorized in the year 2000, i supported it, voted for it, and in 2006, vawa, again, had my full support. in fact, since i've been in congress, i've voted nearly a dozen times, both in the judiciary committee or here on the floor, to renew or strengthen the provisions of vawa in an effort to do what i, what we can all do to protect women who have been or will in the future be subject of domestic violence abuse or other forms of harassment. historically, this legislation has been a truly bipartisan effort. sadly, the effort today, put forth by the majority, is anything but bipartisan. so what's happened between then and now? it seems to me that many on the

left decided they could use this critical legislation that's intended to protect women and girls from violence as a vehicle to promote their far-left political agenda. to me, this is a disturbing development as safety and well-being of all women and girls in this country is far too important to jeopardize with callous political calculations that could further divide the american people. in fact, it's possible that passing this so-called vawa re-authorization, offered by the majority, could result in some faith-based institutions shutting their shelter doors so that many women and girls who relied on their help and their support in protection wouldn't have this protection. this legislation could force women seeking protection in shelters or incarcerated in prison to be housed alongside biological males. potentially subjecting those women to further psychological

or mental or physical harm. to me, it's unconscionable to be aware of these and other shortcomings of this legislation and simply ignore it. so what should we do? we should continue to improve vawa as we did prior to 2013. we should continue to protect those vulnerable individuals in our society who rely on our help to protect them. and we should accomplish it in a bipartisan, bicameral manner, republicans and democrats actually working together, as we're capable of doing. it's time we put politics and political agendas aside and re-authorize a violence against women act that continues to provide real protection for women and girls. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mrs. fischbach: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from georgia, mrs. mcbath. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from georgia is recognized for one minute.

mrs. mcbath: i thank you to the gentleman from new york for yielding. madam speaker, unfortunately, when we talk about violence against women, we're often talking about domestic violence. domestic violence claims the lives of far too many women, and it's especially deadly when it occurs in the household with a gun. in the united states, there are one million women alive today who have reported been shot or shot at by their intimate partners, and there are many that have been threatened or killed with a gun. closing the boyfriend loophole is a critical step to prevent abusers from obtaining a weapon and a weapon that will likely be used to escalate their abuse and a weapon that may have deadly consequences. with this bill, we can truly help prevent abuse. protect our families. and keep every american safer. with that i yield back the balance of my time. mr. nadler: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota

is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i yield four minute to the gentlewoman from arizona. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from arizona is recognized for four minutes. mrs. lesko: thank you, mrs. fischbach. madam speaker, i rise in opposition to this bill. this version of the violence against women act does not protect women. instead, this bill puts partisan political priorities ahead of women in need. well while my colleagues -- while my colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to say they're the party of women, this partisan re-authorization proves they only put women first when it's convenient. i am a survivor of domestic violence from a previous marriage. ives afraid for -- i was afraid for my life, and i was afraid for my daughter's life. thankfully, i escaped that terrible situation.

so i am intimately familiar with the desperate situations many women who are victims of domestic abuse face. as a domestic violence survivor, i know just how important services and protections are to women across our nation. previous re-authorizations of the violence against women act have been bipartisan, but not this one. this version is filled with partisan priorities that force women's domestic violence shelters to take in men who identify as women, strip away protections for religious organizations, and eliminate second amendment rights without due process. the most egregious provisions of this bill push leftist gender ideology at the expense of important protections for women's privacy and safety.

sex segregated shelters provide a safe place for women who have been abused, often at the hands of men, and to offer them a sense of privacy and security. if this bill is enacted, these shelters, under penalty of federal law, would be required to take in men and shelter them with women, putting vulnerable women at risk. religious objections are also under attack in this legislation. this bill excludes critical first amendment protections for faith-based organizations. this almost certainly guarantees that attacks on religious organizations will continue over disagreements on religious liberty and gender ideology. this bill is also being used to change and erode second amendment rights for everyone,

by introducing a new provision that would lower the standard by which government can take away someone's right to bear arms without due process, including for nonfelony crimes. passing legislation that supports women who have been victims of domestic abuse, trafficking and sexual assault should be a bipartisan issue. in this partisan violence against women act, women in need are not the priority. leftist ideology is the priority. with that i urge my colleagues to vote against this bill, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguish gentlelady from massachusetts, ms. clark.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from massachusetts is recognized for one minute. ms. clark: thank you to the chairman, and as the rates of covid-19 spiked across the country, so did the rates of domestic violence. this pandemic within the pandemic must be stopped. and before us are the tools to save lives and end the cycle of violence. the vawa re-authorization makes crucial improvements to the law. it closes legal loopholes to stop violent partners from accessing firearms. it tackles the growing threat of online harassment by training law enforcement on cybercrimes. it provides services for survivors of dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. and it improves protections for native women. today, we stand up for everyone by providing safety everywhere -- at home, at work, on campus, and online. let us vote together to end domestic violence. thank you and i yield back.

mr. nadler: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. mr. nadler: i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cicilline: the covid-19 pandemic, with a nation at stay-at-home orders, many women were not able to escape from their abusers and find shelters. organizations were able to meet women were they are no matter their obstacles. they helped assist over 9,000 survivors of domestic violence and answered over 17,000 help line calls, nearly a 12% increase from 2019. during the pandemic, through vawa programs, rhode islanders found transitional housing, received counseling services, and obtained assistance with seeking restraining orders. violence against women act -- this violence against women act

grants and the programs can really be the difference between life or death. so vote yes on h.r. 1620, the violence against women act -- re-authorization act of 2021, and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from texas, ms. escobar. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. escobar: since being signed into law, the violence against women act has become a crucial part of legislation to aid victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. vawa provides lifesaving programs to help survivors navigate domestic violence and abuse situations. madam speaker, in my district, i heard from enumerable counselors, activists, advocates, attorneys about the toll the covid-19 pandemic has taken on families, but especially families who have to

experience domestic violence. being locked in a situation with your abuser, with your attacker was incredibly dangerous and there's been terrible trauma inflicted. we need to pass this now. there is no reason not to support people who are victims of domestic violence. this is an enormous step forward. i'm grateful to the leaders who brought this forward, and i rise in support. thank you. i yield back. mr. nadler: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the distinguished gentlelady from california, ms. speier. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for one minute. ms. speier: thank you, madam speaker. thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in support of the violence against women act. 20 persons a minute are injured by an intimate partner. that's 10 million american men and women every year. it is time to do something to

continue this act and to extend it. i have a number of amendments that have been accepted. i especially want to point out the shield act, which combats the nonconsensual sharing of private sexually explicit and nude images, commonly known as revenge porn, which will now be a crime. my other amendments is creating a task force on sexual violence and having the secretary of education create surveys. 20% of our college co-eds are sexually assaults or attempts on sexual assault on them each year. finally, the last amendment incentivizes states to pass a survivors bill of rights. the states act, which will particularly be important for rape kits. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. mrs. fischbach: madam speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadlerda