LSC reports:
"An amendment to increase funding for a grant program that supports
legal assistance to victims of domestic violence was overwhelmingly approved by
the House of Representatives on June 17, 2009. The amendment to the Fiscal Year 2010
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill increased
funding for the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women's Legal
Assistance for Victims Grant Program by $4 million-from $37 million to $41
million. It passed the House by a vote
of 425 to 4 (Roll Call
Vote 354). The measure was sponsored
by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), who said, ‘Nearly 70 percent of the women who
bravely take their abusers to court do so without legal representation. And too often, having an attorney present is
the deciding factor in obtaining that lifesaving personal protection order or
getting custody of your kids or receiving transitional housing' . . . . ‘This amendment is a strong amendment,' said
Rep. Poe [R-Tex.], ‘it puts forth the proposition that victims' issues aren't
partisan issues; they're people issues.'
‘Too often, domestic violence and sexual assault victims have to appear
in court by themselves, alone,' he said.
‘They don't have high-dollar lawyers pleading their cases....Instead,
even though those who supposedly loved them chose to beat them up, they have to
pay the price to fight their way through the legal system to request civil
protection. This shouldn't be. We need to match civil justice with our
criminal justice system.'"
