Senate Session 2012 - 04 - 26 - 18 - 00 - 53 - 19 - 02 - 46

I BID YOU ADIEU AND NOTE THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM. THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL. QUORUM CALL: I YOU CALL: QUORUM CALL: QUORUM CALL: A SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT. THE SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO. THE QUORUM CALL. WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. PRESIDENT, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU IN THE CHAIR TODAY AND KNOW THAT ALASKA AS WELL IS REPRESENTED HAVING YOU IN THE CHAIR AND PRESIDING OVER THE SENATE. I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. MR. PRESIDENT, I WANTED TO COME TO THE FLOOR TODAY AND RISE TO COMMEND ONE OF NEW MEXICO'S MOST CELEBRATED AUTHORS, RUDOLPHO THIS YEAR MARKS THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF PROFESSOR ANIA'S ULTIMA." THIS BELOVED BOOK IS AN ICONIC PART OF CHICANO LITERATURE IT HAS BEEN READ BY THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IT TELLS THE STORY OF A YOUNG BOY GROWING UP IN A SMALL NEW MEXICO TOWN DURING WORLD WAR II ULTIMA "IS A CLASSIC PORTRAIT OF CHICANO CULTURE IN A PARTICULAR TIME AND PLACE, BUT IT ALSO RESONATES WITH UNIVERSAL THEMES -- THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY, THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. LITERATURE EXPANDS OUR HORIZONS. IT INCREASES OUR UNDERSTANDING. AS PRESIDENT KENNEDY SAID, ART ESTABLISHES THE BASIC HUMAN TRUTHS WHICH MUST SERVE AS THE TOUCHSTONE OF OUR JUDGMENT. FOR 40 YEARS, RUDOLPHO ANIA'S WORK HAS EXPLORED THE HUMAN THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO ORGANIZED A READING MARATHON TO COMMEMORATE THE PUBLICATION OF "BLUES ME ULTIMA" AND I WAS PLEASED TO TAKE PART. RUDOLPHO ANIA WAS BORN IN 1937 IN THE SMALL NEW MEXICO VILLAGE OF PASTURA. HE GREW UP IN SANTA ROSA AND IN WHEN HE WAS ONLY 16, HE SUFFERED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. REHABILITATION. HE HAS COMMENTED ON THAT PAINFUL TIME IN HIS YOUNG LIFE AND HOW THOSE EVENTS AFFECTED HIS SENSIBILITIES AS A WRITER. HE OBTAINED HIS B.A. AND M.A. MEXICO." DEBUT NOVEL. IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A REMARKABLE LITERARY CAREER. HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF "TORTUGA" AND "ALBUQUERQUE" AMONG MANY OTHER WORKS. HE WAS A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO FROM 1974 UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1993. PROFESSOR ANIA WAS AWARDED THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF ART IN 2001. HE RECEIVED THE AWARD FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE THAT WAS -- THAT HAS BROUGHT NATIONAL RECOGNITION TO CHICANO TRADITIONS, AND FOR HIS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE HISPANIC WRITERS. RUDOLPHO ANIA HAS BEEN A PROLIFIC WRITER AND A DEDICATED TEACHER. HE HAS MADE A LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICAN ARTS AND LETTERS. I'M PLEASED TODAY TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF "BLESS ME ULTIMA" AND I WISH HIM THE VERY BEST IN HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS. MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD NOTE THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM. THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL. CALL: MR. PRESIDENT. THE SENATOR FROM COLORADO. I WOULD ASK THAT THE QUORUM CALL BE VITIATED. OBJECTION. MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PASSAGE OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT. AS A HUSBAND AND AS A FATHER OF THREE YOUNG DAUGHTERS, THIS ME. THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION PROVIDES EXTREMELY VALUABLE FEDERAL RESOURCES TO HELP VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC AND *** VIOLENCE REBUILD THEIR LIVES, WHETHER IT COMES IN THE FORM OF AN EMERGENCY SHELTER, LEGAL ASSISTANCE, A CRISIS HOTLINE OR ADVOCACY, THIS BILL PROVIDES THE ASSISTANCE THAT VICTIMS NEED, ESPECIALLY IN THE MOST VULNERABLE TIME. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SPOUSAL ABUSE AND *** ASSAULTS REPRESENT ENORMOUS PUBLIC POLICY CHALLENGES. BECAUSE OF THE VERY PERSONAL NATURE OF THESE CRIMES, IT CAN BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR VICTIMS TO COME FORWARD TO GET THE HELP THEY NEED, LET ALONE CALL OUT THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED THESE HEINOUS CRIMES, BUT SINCE THIS BILL WAS FIRST ENACTED, THE ANNUAL INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO DROP. ADDITIONALLY, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTING HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED AND VICTIMS ARE RECEIVING LIFE-SAVING ASSISTANCE TO HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES. IN MY HOME STATE OF COLORADO, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE GREAT PROGRESS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DOMESTIC AND *** ASSAULTS THAT OCCUR, BUT WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO MORE. IN 2010, THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL PUBLISHED A REPORT THAT ESTIMATED THAT 451,000 WOMEN IN COLORADO WERE VICTIMS OF *** IN THEIR LIFETIMES. IT ALSO ESTIMATED THAT 897,000 COLORADO WOMEN WERE VICTIMS OF *** VIOLENCE OTHER THAN *** IN THEIR LIFETIME. THAT SAME REPORT SAID THAT 505,000 MEN HAD BEEN VICTIMS OF *** VIOLENCE IN THEIR LIFETIMES. THESE STATISTICS ARE STAGGERING, IN MY VIEW, AND THEY MAKE THE CASE FOR WHY WE HAD TO PASS THIS BILL AND CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING SERVICES. THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT ALSO INCLUDES INVALUABLE PROGRAMS TO COORDINATE COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO RESPOND TO INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC AND *** VIOLENCE BY TRAINING POLICE OFFICERS, JUDGES AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY IS ALREADY STRETCHED SO THIN, SO THE RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THIS BILL WILL HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COURT OFFICIALS TRACK DOWN AND BRING TO JUSTICE THOSE WHO COMMIT THESE CRIMES. IN MY OPINION, WE CAN'T DO ENOUGH TO GET THESE CRIMINALS OFF THE STREETS. FOR INSTANCE, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE SUPPORT PROTECTION AND PREVENTION SERVICES SUCH AS TRAINING JUDGES AND POLICE OFFICERS ON HOW TO IDENTIFY AND RESPOND TO ABUSIVE SITUATIONS. WE CAN SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FATALITIES AND THE NUMBER OF DISPLACED FAMILIES IF WE HAVE BETTER TRAINED OFFICERS IN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE ARENA. FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK CHAIRMAN LEAHY FOR HIS TIRELESS EFFORTS TO MOVE THIS CRITICAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION FORWARD, SENATORS MURRAY AND KLOBUCHAR FOR THEIR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP ON BEHALF OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN ALL ACROSS THE NATION. WITH A BIG BIPARTISAN VOTE TODAY IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE, WE CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS PASSED. WITH THAT, MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE FLOOR. I SUGGEST THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM. THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL. CALL: QUORUM CALL: QUORUM CALL: