Press Releases

Today, Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 2119, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act, which tramples religious freedoms under the guise of serving victims:

"I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2119, Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act. 

"A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that one-third of all men and women are victims of domestic violence at some point in their life. In 2018, approximately 40 percent of female homicides in North Carolina were related to intimate partner violence. The 2020 statistics aren’t any better. 

"COVID-19 and President Biden’s failed economic policies have dealt our nation government-mandated restrictions and economic challenges. It appears those negative outcomes have snowballed to exacerbate an even worse fallout. Evidence suggests that in this pandemic environment, stress due to work, school, substance abuse, and financial struggles, have added to more violence in the home. Especially hard-hit appear to be rural areas, where job opportunities can be hard to find. Recent statistics show that domestic violence-related homicides have increased in my home state of North Carolina. 

"Domestic violence in any form is an evil that demands a strong response. 

"That is why, in 1984, Congress enacted the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), which authorizes programs to support victims of domestic violence and their dependents. These programs include grants to support domestic violence shelters and services and a National Domestic Violence Hotline. Additionally, FVSPA funds the CDC’s DELTA program, which provides funding to state domestic violence coalitions to develop, test, and coordinate local prevention and education programs. 

"Since FVPSA’s enactment, Congress has worked in a bipartisan manner to reauthorize the bill. Sadly, Democrats are now using it as a vehicle to push left-wing priorities. This is disappointing. Committee Republicans wanted to support a bipartisan bill. I strongly believe that FVPSA’s history of bipartisanship must be continued. However, the Democrat bill before us puts special interest groups ahead of victims of domestic violence. 

"H.R. 2119 paves the way for taxpayer-supported abortions. Forcing the public to pay for abortions is morally repugnant and should not be allowed to stand in this bill―or any bill. Previous reauthorizations of the law included a prohibition preventing reimbursement for health care services, but this bill drops that prohibition. 

"The bill also tramples the rights of faith-based providers by forcing organizations to abandon their sincerely held religious beliefs or give up helping victims through these programs, meaning that fewer victims will be able to access vital services and care. Faith-based providers who offer critical care to survivors of domestic violence should not be obstructed from operating. 

"FVPSA is not an instrument for partisan policies, or it should not be, especially those that threaten religious liberties. 

"That is why Republicans offered an amendment that includes a carefully focused set of reforms that act in the best interest of victims of family violence and the people who serve them. Specifically, it improves current law, ensuring that funds are focused on life-saving supportive services. Democrats opposed it in Committee and I’m guessing they’ll oppose it on the Floor. 

"Republicans recognize the importance of supporting survivors of domestic violence. We must understand that dealing with this issue is best done at the local level, and government cannot always provide the answers. Local civic groups and faith-based providers are best positioned to provide aid and deliver it effectively. 

"Congress should support best practices and protect the providers closest to the victims seeking help. Pushing faith-based providers out of this important work – as the Democrat-led bill could do – does nothing to help continue the delivery of locally-driven support services for victims of domestic violence."