Congresswoman Gwen Moore
Washington, DC –U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) was on hand at the White House this week as President Barack Obama signed a modified version of her legislation – the Family Violence and Prevention Services Act (FVPSA), which expands and improves services to victims of domestic violence and their families.
Congresswoman Moore said, “I’m so proud to watch President Obama sign this much-needed legislation into law. It’s a huge victory. Domestic violence shelters in Wisconsin and throughout the country have been absolutely stretched to their limits by increased demand, and they’ve been forced to turn victims away. Today, we’re standing with victims of domestic violence and saying that the status quo has got to go.”
Highlights of the newly-enacted FVPSA also in Moore’s original version include: Improving and expanding services for children exposed to domestic violence; Helping teenage victims by expanding services to include dating violence; Targeted, culturally-competent services specifi cally for victims in underserved communities; and Making it easier for shelters to apply for grants by bringing FVPSA language in sync with the Violence Against Women Act.
Moore continued, “Despite all of our gains, domestic violence is still a crisis. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her life. In my state alone, deaths from domestic violence are the highest in a decade. This bill moves us forward in our fight to end domestic violence once and for all.”
She spoke on the House Floor earlier this month, when her bill was considered as part of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
Moore introduced FVPSA in November of 2009. This fall, she appeared on the Dr. Phil Show to talk about the need for her legislation. She was recently recognized for her leadership on this issue with an award from the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
Moore has also written legislation that would help low-income victims escape domestic violence. It is difficult for any victim to escape, but that’s especially true for lowincome people. Her legislation waives certain requirements of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program for victims of domestic violence, who often can be found by their abusers through program participation.
She also worked to create the Brides Walk – an annual event held in Milwaukee – to help raise awareness of domestic violence in the Latino community.