Speech #1090082947

I bring this up to remind my colleagues that even in this time of budget deficits. investing In programs to halt domestic violence is not only the right thing to do. but it ultimately saves money. It is fitting that this years National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is the month that the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act of 2005. This bill will reauthorize critical components of the original act. and it will establish further protections for battered immigrants and victims of human trafficking in order to additionally combat domestic violence and sexual assault. The legislation takes the critical next steps to helping victims become safe. secure. and selfsufficient. I would like to point out that this bill had 57 cosponsors and passed unanimously.