madam president, sheila wellstone isn't with us today. heila and paul and their daughter marsha were tragically taken from us too soon, but sheila's example is with us. her legacy is with us, and her words are with us and i'd like to close with those. here's what sheila said. "we really have to look at the values that guide us. we have to work toward an ethic that respects every individual, to be physically and emotionally safe. no one, regardless of age, color, gender, background, any other factor deserves to be physically or emotionally unsa unsafe. in a justic just society, we plo act together to ensure that each individual is safe from harm. in a just society, i think we have to say this over and over and over: we are not going to tolerate the violence." madam president, the vawa reauthorization bill is another step toward a more just society, as sheila described it. and i look forward to it and i look forward to it [cheering] you are still here. [laughter] that's good. i couldn't remember where we landed on that. now the senate agricu

madam president, sheila wellstone isn't with us today. sheila and paul and their daughter marsha were tragically taken from us too soon, but sheila's example is with us. her legacy is with us, and her words are with us and i'd like to close with those. here's what sheila said. "we really have to look at the values that guide us. we have to work toward an ethic that respects every individual, to be physically and emotionally safe. no one, regardless of age, color, gender, background, any other factor deserves to be physically or emotionally unsa unsafe. in a justic just society, we plo act together to ensure that each individual is safe from harm. in a just society, i think we have to say this over and over and over: we are not going to tolerate the violence." madam president, the vawa reauthorization bill is another step toward a more just society, as sheila described it. and i look forward to it becoming law. thank you. the presiding officer: the senator from west virginia. mr. manchin: madam president, i rise today with the surest convic

the sheila wellstone institute continues their work by promoting awareness of violence against women and ensuring that ending this problem remains a national priority. the wellstones' sons mark and david have also continued to work where their parents' work began through their nonprofit wellstone alliance. among many other things, wellstone action and mark wellstone in particular worked hard to ensure that the violence against women act was reauthorized in 2006. so as we look today for a potential vote on the violence against women act, i would like my fellow senators to remember these words that senator wellstone spoke many, many years ago. again, he said we can no longer stand by and say it is someone else's problem. what are we waiting for? too many have spoken with their voices and their lives, and this violence must end. and so we all know that we can no longer stand and say it is someone else's problem. we can't let our own differences, minor that they may be on various provisions, get in the way of the fact that this has always been a bipartisan bill, that this bill has 61 aut

that legislation, led that effort and someone who we miss very dearly in minnesota, paul wellstone and his wife sheila were also involved in getting this important bill passed. since that time, annual domestic violence rates have fallen by 50%. as communities nationwide have stopped looking at these issues as family issues and started treating domestic violence and sexual assault as a serious crimes that they are. before i came to the senate, madam president, i spent eight years as a chief prosecutor for minnesota's largest county, hennepin county. during that time, both prevention and the prosecution of domestic violence were one of my top priorities. we were very proud of the domestic violence service center which was really cutting edge in the nation which was with one shop where people could go when they were victims of domestic violence, a place for their kids, shelters, prosecutors would be able to charge out complaints, police would be there for protective orders, and it was a way to help people who were really at the point where they thought no one was there for them. for women to be able to c

he was recounting the effort of his predecessor senator paul wellstone to pass the violence against women act in 1994. >> sheila and paul and their daughter marsha were trjcly taken from us too soon. the example is with usth her legacy is with us and her words are with us. >>reporter: the family died in a plane crash in 2002. after franken remark the senate voted overwhelmingly to reauthorize the law. >> world war ii veteran would had irreplaceable medal and other memorandum peel beallia stolen he got good news. the response has been remarkable. the update tonight from tl wayne friedman. >> the last time micky sat in the waiting room of the san leandro police department his prospects were weak. >> i was definite satelliteed. >> had you ever seen him this upset before. not really. >>reporter: it was april fourth, parking lot of local restaurant he had returned to his car and found it broken into. someone took his briefcase with world war ii medals and his hat and more. of everything you have lost what's the hardest to replace. >> sextant. >>reporter: he had it aboard the ship when japanese attacked pearl harbor.

madam president, sheila wellstone isn't with us today. sheila and paul and their daughter marsha were tragically taken from us too soon, but sheila's example is with us. her legacy is with us, and her words are with us and i'd like to close with those. here's what sheila said. "we really have to look at the values that guide us. we have to work toward an ethic that respects every individual, to be physically and emotionally safe. no one, regardless of age, color, gender, background, any other factor deserves to be physically or emotionally unsa unsafe. in a justic just society, we plo act together to ensure that each individual is safe from harm. in a just society, i think we have to say this over and over and over: we are not going to tolerate the violence." madam president, the vawa reauthorization bill is another step toward a more just society, as sheila described it. and i look forward to it becomi