vawa has attained such broad support for one reason -- it's worked. since it became law 18 years ago, domestic violence has decreased by 53%. and while incidents have gone down, reporting of violence and abuse has gone up. more victims are finally coming forward and more women and families are getting the support and the care they need to move themselves out of dangerous situations. as a result of the language in this law, every single state has made stalking a crime and they've all strength ends criminal rape -- strengthened criminal rape statutes. madam president, we have made a lot of progress since 1994 but we still have a long way to go. every single minute, 24 people across america are victims of violence by an intimate partner. more than 12 million people a year. 45% of the women killed in this country die at the hands of their partner. and in one day last year, victims of domestic violence made more than 10,000 requests for supports and services that could not be met because programs didn't have the resources. that's why i was so proud to cosp

vawa has attained such broad support for one reason -- it's worked. since it became law 18 years ago, domestic violence has decreased by 53%. and while incidents have gone down, reporting of violence and abuse has gone up. more victims are finally coming forward and more women and families are getting the support and the care they need to move themselves out of dangerous situations. as a result of the language in this law, every single state has made stalking a crime and they've all strength ends criminal rape -- strengthened criminal rape statutes. madam president, we have made a lot of progress since 1994 but we still have a long way to go. every single minute, 24 people across america are victims of violence by an intimate partner. more than 12 million people a year. 45% of the women killed in this country die at the hands of their partner. and in one day last year, victims of domestic violence made more than 10,000 requests for supports and services that could not be met because programs didn't have the resources. that's why i was so proud to cosp

the reauthorization of vawa should be routine. it has been extended without incident for 18 years.o the senate floor thursday to express her frustration. >> to defeat this bill is almost to say, we don't need to consider violence against women. it's not an important issue. it is. it's not a partisan issue. it never has been in it this body, which is why candidly i'm surprised that i find myself on the floor urging that this bill be brought to the floor. >> republicans are blaming their opposition for new additions to the bill. you know, things that weren't in there before, things that democrats may have added, things like giving money to law enforcement and battered women shelters that serve american indians in rural areas, extending violence protection to same-sex couples, providing protection to undocumented imgrants including a provision that immigrants can claim temporary visas. republicans claim these new additions could give tribal courts the authority to bring criminal cases against non-indians. is this mass misogyny or political posturing? it's difficult. both democrats and

vawa has attained such broad support for one reason -- it's worked.since it became law 18 years ago, domestic violence has decreased by 53%. and while incidents have gone down, reporting of violence and abuse has gone up. more victims are finally coming forward and more women and families are getting the support and the care they need to move themselves out of dangerous situations. as a result of the language in this law, every single state has made stalking a crime and they've all strength ends criminal rape -- strengthened criminal rape statutes. madam president, we have made a lot of progress since 1994 but we still have a long way to go. every single minute, 24 people across america are victims of violence by an intimate partner. more than 12 million people a year. 45% of the women killed in this country die at the hands of their partner. and in one day last year, victims of domestic violence made more than 10,000 requests for supports and services that could not be met because programs didn't have the resources. that's why i was so proud to cospo

we believe that the reauthorization of vawa will help us with that. so as we join with other alaskans in the state and here in washington, d.c., to choose respect for all women, for all in our communities, i think it's important that there are some tools here that we can put in place to help not only the people of my state but victims of domestic violence where ever they may be. and with that, madam chair -- madam president, i that unmy freeing colleague from illinois -- i thank my frien my colleagum illinois for yielding and i turn it back to him. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: the senate is not a place for sprinters, only long-distance runners because sometimes you need patience behind human endurance to see an idea that you feel is meritorious finally get passed by the united states senate and maybe even the house or maybe even signed into law. sometimes it happens quickly. more often, it takes a long time. my personal example is the dream act which i introduced 11 years ago. this was legislation that addressed a prob

no reason we can't do the vawa bill on a completely nonpartisan basis. i'm on the floor today to call on my colleagues to ban together and pass -- band together and pass this reauthorization and send a strong signal that the senate stands united in recognizing victims from across the country to give them the help that they need and obviously deserve. in massachusetts, vawa is supported by law enforcement and many service providers on the front lines of assisting domestic violence victims. i know previously as an attorney i dealt in family law matters. i know of the yeoman's work these entities do and on friday i will be visiting voices against violence in framingham, massachusetts, to support services to survivors of sexual assault and ensure a trained rape counselor is available after hours. the ymca uses those funds for a proactive program that has service providers working closely with law enforcement to provide information, identify and provide information for domestic violence victims and advocate on their behalf at a time when quite frankly these f

we vote for the rule we would like to have the previous question having been defeated so we can add vawa to it. that's all we are trying to do here today. it's about to expire. it would be a dreadful thing to think that women and children and other spouses would be growing up in violence because we failed to provide the resources to stop that that have been so successful since 1994. i'd like to yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for three minutes. ms. norton: i thank the gentlelady from new york for the consistent leadership she has given this important legislation since it was passed. it took us a number of years to get it passed in the first place. it's never been off our radar screen. and especially to my good friend from wisconsin who comes forward in very compelling ways to ask that we vote no on the previous question so that we can consider the violence against women act which may well expire, making it, i fear, a real target for the appropriation committee, because the bill shall n