House Proceeding 04-28-09 on Apr 28th, 2009 :: 2:34:05 to 2:39:50
Total video length: 3 hours 59 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:77 Duration: 0:05:45 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

2:34:01 to 2:34:21( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: countless professionals and volunteers who dedicated their lives to help victims and survivors of crime. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: yes, mr. speaker. i yield such time as he may consume to the chief sponsor of the legislation who along with

2:34:05 to 2:39:50( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jim Costa

2:34:22 to 2:34:44( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: mr. poe introduced this resolution, the gentleman from lifornia, mr. costa. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. costa: i want to thank the gentleman from virginia for his support on resolution 109, which i rise today to introduce. as has been stated by my colleagues, this resolution

2:34:45 to 2:35:06( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: supports the mission and goals of national crime victims' rights week. to designate this week, april 26 to may 2, as national crime victims' rights week. congressman ted poe and i introduced this resolution on behalf of our victims -- fellow victims' rights caucus members who have been supportive of our

2:35:07 to 2:35:27( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: efforts over the last four years. as was noted in 1980, president reagan first called for the national observance to recognize and honor millions of families of crime in our country and their families, millions of victims and their families who -- and survivors, who have been victims, sadly, of crime in america.

2:35:28 to 2:35:48( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: this year, we mark the 25th anniversary the enactment of the victims of crime act of 1984, better known as voca this legislation has supported rights and services for crime victims for the last 25 years and quite successfully. it has done it without the use of a single dime from american

2:35:49 to 2:36:10( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: taxpayer dollars. the victims of crime act, the voca funds are supported by fines and penalties that come as a result of -- from the criminals that perpetrated these crimes. these funds are used by state and local organizations to help

2:36:11 to 2:36:31( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: people through difficult time periods after experiencing a crime they have been victimized by. there are over 4,400 agencies across the country that depend on voca funding. these agencies serve nearly 3.5 million vime victims -- crime

2:36:32 to 2:36:52( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: victims each year, sadly this resolution also honors the lives rebuilt over the last 25 years as a result of all the good efforts of local agencies throughout our country. these are millions of people working in victim organizations who have dedicated their lives to assisting people through these terrible, terrible time periods.

2:36:53 to 2:37:14( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: each and every one of you, i think, deserves a thank you from all of us as members of congress. when i arrived in washington, congressn poe and i discovered that there was not a caucus that was dedicated for the purpose of recognizing those victims of crime. so congressman ted poe and i

2:37:15 to 2:37:35( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: decided to form a new, bipartisan, congressional caucus that would provide a louder voice for all of the advocacy groups who advocate on behalf of victims of crime. the congressional victims' rights caucus, of which i am proud to be a co-chair, frankly, has done a lot of good efforts over the last four

2:37:36 to 2:37:57( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: years. we encourage members who are listens, and their staff, who are not members of this bipartisan congressional caucus that you join our efforts. we have three simple gls. the first is to represent crime victims in the united states through bipartisan introduction of legislation that reflects their interests, rights, and needs of victims of crime.

2:37:58 to 2:38:19( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: two, our goal is to provide an ongoing forum for active discussion between congress and national victims' assistance organizations to enhance mutual education and legislative advocacy and initiatives that promote justice for all, including the victims of crime. three to seek opportunities for

2:38:20 to 2:38:40( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: public education initiatives, help pple in the united states understand the impact of crime on victims and to courage their involvement in crime prevention which is the best sort of effort we can possibly do, an ounce of prevention, as we all know, is worth a pound of cure, and also to provide victim assistance

2:38:41 to 2:39:01( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: and community safety throughout our neighborhoods across this great land of ours. i want to thank again the gentleman from virginia, congressman ted poe, my co-share of e caucus, for all our efforts on behalf of members who work on behalf of those who are victims of crime. finally, my colleagues, fellow colleagues, crime as we know

2:39:02 to 2:39:22( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: knows no boundary, knows no demographic or congressional district boundary. sadly, crime affects in some capacity all americans at some point in life. en o family, when our friends, and when our neighbors are in need of assistance after a crime, they should not be met with a closed door, but they

2:39:23 to 2:39:43( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: should be met with open arms. we all have a responsibility. this is not simply the domain of local law enforcement agencies that play a tremendous role. but we as americans all have a responsibility to help out in our communities system of i want to thank those members of the congressional crime

2:39:44 to 2:39:51( Edit History Discussion )

Jim Costa: victims' caucus. i want to thank those who support this resolution, h.r. 109, and i yield back the balance of my time and