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                   Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

                  STATEMENT ON INTRODUCTION OF 
            "THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 1993"
                       JANUARY 21, 1993

MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY TO INTRODUCE SENATE BILL NUMBER 11, THE
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 1993 -- THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION
TO ADDRESS THE GROWING PROBLEM OF VIOLENT CRIME CONFRONTING AMERICAN
WOMEN.

SINCE I FIRST INTRODUCED THIS LEGISLATION IN 1990, THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE HAS HELD A SERIES OF FOUR HEARINGS; WE HAVE REFINED THE LEGISLATION 
AND ISSUED REPORTS; WE HAVE GARNERED THE SUPPORT OF PROMINENT GROUPS AND
INDIVIDUALS WITH WIDELY DIFFERING INTERESTS -- FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT GROUPS,
WOMEN'S GROUPS, AND VICTIMS' ADVOCATES. THE BILL HAS TWICE RECEIVED THE
UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF THE SENATE JUDICARY COMMITTEE. NOW IT IS TIME TO COMPLETE
OUR EFFORTS.

I AM PARTICULARLY HEARTENED THAT MY COLLEAGUE SENATOR BARABAR BOXER -- THE
AUTHOR OF THIS MEASURE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LAST YEAR -- CAN JOIN
ME THIS YEAR, HERE IN THE SENATE, TO HELP FIGHT FOR THIS LEGISLATION. I KNOW
THAT SHE SHARES MY CONVICTION THAT WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER
TO ENSURE THAT THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT BECOMES LAW -- AND LAW THIS
YEAR.

WE HAVE WAITED TOO LONG, ALREADY, TO RECOGNIZE THE HORROR AND THE SWEEP OF 
THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE. FOR TOO MANY YEARS, OUR IDEA OF "CRIME" -- OF WHAT
CONSTITUTES CRIMES -- HAS LEFT NO ROOM FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. WE NOW
FACE A PROBLEM THAT HAS BECOME DOUBLY DANGEROUS, AS INVISIBLE TO POLICYMAKERS
AS IT IS TERRIFYING TO ITS VICTIMS.

OUR BLINDNESS COSTS US DEARLY:

	*	EVERY WEEK, 21,000 WOMEN REPORT TO POLICE THAT THEY HAVE 
		BEEN BEATEN IN THEIR OWN HOMES;

	*	EVERY DAY, OVER 2,500 WOMEN VISIT AN EMERGENCY ROOM
		BECAUSE OF VIOLENCE;

	*	EVERY HOUR, AS MANY AS 70 WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL BE
		ATTACKED BY RAPISTS.


TODAY, I BELIEVE MORE FIRMLY THAN EVER BEFORE, THAT THIS NATION WILL BE 
POWERLESS TO CHANGE THIS COURSE OF VIOLENT CRIME AGAINST WOMEN UNLESS THE
CONGRESS TAKES A LEADERSHIP ROLE, WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE PRESIDENT.
ONLY THEN CAN WE AS A NATION INSCRIBE THIS VIOLENCE WITH A NAME SO THAT IT
WILL NEVER BE MISTAKEN OR DISMISSED AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN BRUTALLY WRONG.

THE BILL I INTRODUCE TODAY ATTACKS VIOLENT CRIME AGAINST WOMEN AT ALL
LEVEL -- FROM OUR STREET TO OUR HOMES, FROM SQUAD CARS TO COURTROOMS, FROM
SCHOOLROOMS TO HOSPITALS. IN LARGE MEASURE, IT IS THE SAME BILL THAT I 
INTRODUCED IN THE 102ND CONGRESS, WITH THE ADDITION OF MINOR AND
TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS AND A SPECIAL NEW PROVISION AUTHORED BY SENATOR
KENNEDY TO PROVIDE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR A NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HOTLINE.

LET ME BRIEFLY REVIEW THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF THE LEGISLATION:


TITLE I -- SAFE STREET FOR WOMEN ACT

TITLE I FOCUSES ON MAKING OUR STREET SAFER BY BOOSTING FUNDING FOR POLICE,
PROSECUTORS, AND VICTIM ADVOCATES, PROMOTING RAPE EDUCATION, AND CHANGING
EVIDENTIARY RULES TO MAKE OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM FAIRER TO THE VICTIMS OF 
VIOLENT CRIME.


TITLE II -- SAFE HOMES FOR WOMEN

TITLE II -- THE SAFE HOMES FOR WOMEN ACT -- ACKNOWLEDGES, FOR THE FIRST TIME, 
THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN FIGHTING SPOUSAL ABUSE. IT CREATE THE 
FIRST FEDERAL LAW AGAINST BATTERING, PROVIDES NATIONWIDE COVERAGE FOR "STAY-
AWAY" ORDERS, ENCOURAGES ARREST OF SPOUSE ABUSERS, AND BOOSTS FUNDING FOR
BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTERS.

TITLE III -- CIVIL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN

TITLE III -- THE MOST INNOVATICE PROVISION OF THIS BILL -- RECOGNIZES THAT
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN PRESENTS QUESTIONS NOT ONLY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, BUT 
ALSO OF EQUAL JUSTICE. IT TAKES A DRAMATIC STEP FORWARD IN DEFINING "GENDER-
MOTIVATED" CRIME AS A "BIAS" CRIME AND DECLARING, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT 
CIVIL RIGHTS REMEMDIES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO VICTIMS OF SUCH BIAS CRIMES.

TITLE IV -- SAFE CAMPUSES FOR WOMEN

TITLE IV, MUCH OF WHICH PASSED IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1992,
NOW AUTHORIZES INCREASED FUNDING FOR CAMPUS RAPE EDUCATION EFFORTS.

TITLE V -- EQUAL JUSTICE FOR WOMEN IN THE COURTS ACT

FINALLY, TITLE V OF THE BILL RECOGNIZES THE CRITICAL ROLE PLAYED BY THE
JUDICIAL BRANCH IN FORMING AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN,
AUTHORIZING COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR STATE AND FEDERAL JUDGES.

I WILL NOT TAKE ANY FURTHER TIME TO DESCRIBE THE CONTENTS OF THE BILL. I
ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT A SUMMARY AND THE COMPLETE TEXT OF THE LEGISLATION
APPEAR IN THE RECORD FOLLOWING MY REMARKS.

MR. PRESIDENT, LET ME CLOSE BY URGING MY COLLEAGUES TO JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING
THIS DESPERATELY-NEEDED LEGISLATION. ALREADY, FORTY SENATORS HAVE INDICATED
THEIR SUPPORT AS ORIGINAL COSPONSORS. I HOPE THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER
OF OTHERS WILL JOIN US SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE SWIFT CONSIDERATION AND DEBATE
IN THE FULL SENATE. LET US NOT WAIT ANOTHER YEAR WITHOUT DEALING WITH THIS 
VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.