Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard thanked more than 100 advocates who traveled to our nation’s capital from throughout the country to participate in the 8th Annual National Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Legislative Action Days for their personal commitment to ending domestic violence. Coinciding with Sexual Assault Awareness Month this month, the participants met with Members of Congress to discuss the importance of funding domestic violence and sexual assault programs in our communities. The advocates asked Members to support full funding of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorized in 2005, which includes a measure authored by the congresswoman to establish a Resource Center on Workplace Responses to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence. The congresswoman also thanked the advocates for helping to gain support in Congress for the SAFE Act, which she authored to address emergency leave, unemployment compensation and various forms of discrimination against domestic violence survivors in the workplace.

The following is the full text of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard remarks given at the breakfast gathering on Capitol Hill:

“I extend a special thanks to our host organizations – National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and National Alliance to End Sexual Violence - and to the state and local advocates for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault from all over the country. Thank you for inviting me to join you today. As you may know, I have long-standing interest in ending domestic violence and sexual assault that extends to my service in the State Assembly, when I fought to criminalize spousal rape in California. As a member of the House, I will soon be reintroducing the Security and Financial Empowerment Act – or SAFE Act. The bill addresses emergency leave, unemployment compensation, and various forms of discrimination against victims in the workplace. I have introduced this legislation in every Congress since 1996, and I will continue to work to get it signed into law. I am hopeful that the new Congress will be more receptive to this bill and to such critical issues that continue to affect millions of women and families throughout the country. Last year, I was pleased to have one of the provisions of my bill, creating a National Resource Center on Workplace Responses to domestic violence, included in the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization. The Resource Center will help businesses develop and implement policies, guidelines, and plans to make their workplaces safer and more productive while supporting victims. I am working to get the Resource Center fully funded in the 110th Congress. We have already come a long way in our efforts to combat violence against women. And as a result of the 1994 passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), our federal and state laws correctly recognize domestic violence as a crime for which the abuser is responsible, not a lifestyle choice of the victim. Now, we all must continue working for full funding for all the necessary programs that were authorized. And with this new majority, I have renewed hope that we can achieve this. No one deserves to be abused or threatened. Violence against women is inexcusable. It is people like you who will be instrumental in ending this violence permanently. Thank you for your work today educating my colleagues about how they can help our critical work to end domestic violence.”

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