January 11, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 6 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RESTORE FUNDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

  (Ms. WILD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, this shutdown is tearing at the fabric of our 
society, and one of the clearest examples is the lack of funding for 
the Justice Department.
  As a practicing attorney for the past 30+ years, I know that many 
people, when facing some of the most challenging times of their lives, 
often depend on Justice Department services. When we fail to provide 
those resources, our fellow citizens are forced to suffer in silence.
  This lack of funding has led the Violence Against Women Act to 
expire, jeopardizing protections for domestic abuse and sexual assault 
victims. Constituents in my district, who provide assistance to these 
survivors through such fine organizations as Turning Point of Lehigh 
Valley, and the Crime Victims Council, have said that their programs 
could soon be at risk.
  And because of Washington's failure to fund programs like the Victims 
of Crime Act Assistance Grant Program, organizations that look out for 
children suffering abuse aren't getting the resources they need either.
  As promised, when this shutdown began, I will be making regular 
charitable contributions to individuals and agencies in my district who 
are adversely affected by the shutdown, but that will, by no means, 
offset loss of Federal funding.
  Our constituents are suffering, and they need us to act.

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