Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, today spoke in favor of his amendment to the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act that clarifies grant eligibility under the act to also include legal aid organizations that provide violence prevention services.
The vote on the en bloc package containing Congressman Cohen’s amendment was 238 to 189. The vote on the full measure was 228 to 200.
In his floor remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:
“A heartbreaking statistic of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increase in domestic and family violence that continues to affect Americans across the country…We must do all we can to keep families and children safe during this pandemic and at all times. This amendment is part of the en bloc package and simply clarifies grant eligibility to include legal aid organizations to provide violence-prevention services.
“There is a direct relationship between legal intervention and a decline in domestic violence. One study found that obtaining a permanent protection order results in an 80 percent reduction in physical violence 12 months after initial client contact…Legal aid is a critical prevention tool to help limit the damage domestic violence causes…I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the overall bill.”
Original source can be found here.
