[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12] [Senate] [Page 17324] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS ______ SENATE RESOLUTION 663--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT CONGRESS SHOULD CONTINUE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE UNITED STATES AND ITS DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES, AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Specter, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Landrieu, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Franken, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Feingold, and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: S. Res. 663 Whereas National Domestic Violence Awareness Month will be observed during October 2010; Whereas domestic violence affects people of all ages and all racial, ethnic, gender, economic, and religious backgrounds; Whereas females are disproportionately victims of domestic violence, and 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in her life; Whereas, on average, more than 3 women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the United States every day; Whereas, in 2007, 1,640 women were murdered by an intimate partner, and were the victims of 70 percent of all intimate partner homicides that year; Whereas women from 16 to 24 years of age experience the highest rates, per capita, of intimate partner violence; Whereas 1 out of 3 Native American women will be raped and 6 out of 10 will be physically assaulted in their lifetimes; Whereas, in 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the costs of intimate partner violence exceeded $8,300,000,000, including the cost of medical care, mental health services, and lost productivity; Whereas \1/4\ to \1/2\ of domestic violence victims report that they have lost a job due, at least in part, to domestic violence; Whereas the annual cost of lost productivity due to domestic violence is estimated at $727,800,000 with more than 7,900,000 paid workdays lost per year; Whereas some landlords deny housing to victims of domestic violence who have protection orders or evict victims of domestic violence who seek help after a domestic violence incident, such as by calling 911, or who have other indications that they are domestic violence victims; Whereas 92 percent of homeless women experience severe physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lifetimes; Whereas approximately 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse women also abuse children; Whereas it is critical to ensure that children who are exposed to domestic violence are placed in the protective care of a responsible and loving parent or guardian; Whereas a study of over 17,000 adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente found that children who live with their abusers are at high risk for grave medical, psychological, and behavioral disorders and even death; Whereas approximately 15,500,000 children are exposed to domestic violence every year; Whereas children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, and engage in teenage prostitution; Whereas one large study found that men exposed to physical abuse, sexual abuse, and adult domestic violence as children were almost 4 times more likely than other men to have perpetrated domestic violence as adults; Whereas nearly 1,500,000 high school students nationwide experienced physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year; Whereas 13 percent of teenage girls who have been in a relationship report being hit or hurt by their partners and 1 in 4 teenage girls has been in a relationship in which she was pressured by her partner into performing sexual acts; Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 60 percent more likely to report one or more suicide attempts in the past year; Whereas there is a need for middle schools, secondary schools, and post-secondary schools to educate students about the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; Whereas 88 percent of men in a national poll reported that they think that our society should do more to respect women and girls; Whereas a multi-State study shows conclusively that the domestic violence shelters in the United States are addressing urgent and long-term needs of victims and are helping victims protect themselves and their children; Whereas a 2009 National Census Survey reported that 65,321 adults and children were served by domestic violence shelters and programs around the United States in a single day and those same understaffed programs were unable to meet 9,280 requests for help on that same day; Whereas there is a need to support programs aimed at intervening and preventing domestic violence in the United States; and Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to preventing and ending domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; and (2) expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating effects on families and communities, and support programs designed to end domestic violence. ____________________