renew vawa now." renew vawa is the message we carry today. to the house, renew vawa with the improvements and reforms that we have wisely adopted in this body and continue a measure that has benefited 54,000 -- let me repeat that. 54,000 domestic violence victims in connecticut alone. millions across the country and has provided organizations in connecticut, nearly $5 million in just the last fiscal year from vawa programs. these measures make a difference in people's lives. so often we can speak and think in this chamber without the kind of connection to individual lives where we see legislation, our acts here making a difference. this measure offers us the opportunity to make a difference by broadening and making more inclusive this measure. it makes it more effective, and i'm proud that it makes it more effective with an amendment that i offer to prevent criminals who use the internet to intimidate, threaten, harass and incite violence against women and children. the use of the internet is increasingly prevalent for these kinds of crimes.

president, reauthorizing an inclusive vawa is a matter of fairness. debra's experience and the experience of other victims of that man do not represent an isolated incident. for the narrow set of domestic crimes laid out in vawa, tribal governments should be able to hold accountable defendants that have a strong tie to the tribal community. mr. president, i was very glad to see republican congresswoman judy biggert and republican colleagues echo sent sentiment last week. they sent a letter to their party leadership to end this gridlock -- and i quote -- "and accept the senate-endorsed provisions that will protect all victims of domestic violence including college students, lgbt individuals, native americans, and immigrants." end quote. so today i am here to urge speaker boehner to listen to the members of his own caucus and join us in making a major step to uphold our government's promise to protect its people. people like mirabel and maria, two more young women who come from my home state of washington. as a transgender woman, mirabel has been subjec

it also rolls back some of the important improvements that have been made to vawa in the past. i'm hopeful that we will be able to iron out these differences as we move forward but i strongly believe that the improvements that were included in the senate bill should remain a part of the bill that gets sent to the president. i hope that our colleagues in the house will follow the suit of the senate with this domestic violence bill, pass a bipartisan bill, get this done and get it done soon. it simply isn't that hard. you just look into the eyes of a domestic violence victim, you look into the eyes of the children and you know it isn't that hard. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. mr. kyl: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. kyl: thank you. madam president, i just wanted to make a very brief comment primarily for the benefit of our republican colleagues who have been inquiring about whether or not we would have and when we would have a vote to invoke cloture to proceed to the cybersecurity legislation. i'm hopeful that we can do that

the message to congress was loud and clear -- do your job, pass vawa now. according the work of these tireless advocates and the victims they help should be our priority. victims should not be forced to wait any longer. they're not going to benefit from the improvements we made in the senate bill unless both houses of congress vote to pass this legislation. the problems facing us are too serious for congress to delay. remember this kind of violence knows no political party. its victims are republican and democrat, rich and poor, young and old. i have said so many times a victim is a victim is a victim. helping these victims, all these victims should be our goal. i ask consent that my full statement be made part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. leahy: mr. president, i yield the floor and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island is recognized. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent

vawa has attained such broad support because it works. where a person lives, their immigration status, or who they love should not determine whether or not perpetrators of domestic violence are brought to justice. these women across this country cannot afford any further delay, not on this bill. now, madam president, today "the new york times" ran an editorial on this bill that really gets to the heart of where we are. it began by saying -- quote -- "house republicans have to decide which is more important, protecting victims of domestic violence or advancing the harsh antigay and anti-immigrant sentiments of some on their party's far right. at the moment, harshness is winning"-- unquote. but the editorial pointed out it doesn't have to be that way. it pointed out, -- and i quote -- "in may, 15 senate republicans joined with the chamber's democratic majority to prove a strong reauthorization bill"-- unquote. and finally ends with what we all know it will take to move this bill forward, leadership from congressman boehner. i ask unanimous

particularly for the victims that need that assistance in that bill, and believe that this -- our bill, the vawa bill that passed the house can pass the nate. again it would say that the senate bill is unconstitutional and it can't pass the house. it seems to me that the best way forward is for the senate to agree to the bill which pretty mu extends esting legislation with some minor changes so that the victims of abuse neeng the assistance can actually begin to -- can actually receive that assistance. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for those comments, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as the gentleman well knows, the house bill excluded in large number of people from protection. a large number of members -- people who werthe victims of domestic violence from protection. as contracted -- contrasted with the senate bill which was designed to ensure protection of all people who were subject to domestic abuse, and designed to encourage people to make complaints against those who abuse them. without fear of adverse consequences to them. so that we could get abusers dealt with in a proper way. and again i