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 Proc. 7348 Title 3--The President tro] and Prevention and the National Institute of Justice, each year in the United States approximately 1.5 million women are raped and/or phys- ically assaulted by their current or former husbands, partners, or boy- friends. Many of these women are victimized more than once over the course of a year. As unsettling as these statistics are, it is also disturbing to realize that the children of battered women frequently witness these at- tacks, thus becoming victims themselves. My Administration has worked hard to reduce domestic violence in our Nation and to assist victims and their families. The cornerstone of our ef- forts has been the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which the Con- gress passed with bipartisan support in 1994 and which I signed into law as part of our comprehensive crime control bill. This important piece of legislation, which contains a broad array of ground-breaking measures to combat violence against women, combines tough penalties with programs to prosecute offenders and provide assistance to women who are survivors of violence. In the 6 years since I signed VAWA into law, the legislation has provided more than $%6 billion to support prosecutors, law enforcement officials, courts, victim advocates, and intervention efforts. We have quadrupled funding for battered women's shelters, created the National Domestic Vio- lence Hotline, and supported community outreach and prevention pro- grams, children's counseling, and child protection services. The Depart- ment of Justice has awarded more than 900 discretionary grants and 280 STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) Violence Against Women formula grants to help State, tribal, and local governments and community- based organizations establish specialized domestic violence and sexual as- sault units, train personnel, enforce laws, develop policies, assist victims of violence, and hold abusers accountable. These VAWA programs are making a difference across the country. A re- cent report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that the number of women experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate partner declined 2\177 percent from \177993 to \177998. I call on the Congress to reauthorize and strengthen VAWA so that we may continue to build on the progress we have made in combating domestic violence in our Nation. Through VAWA and other initiatives and programs, we are striving to cre- ate a responsive legal system in American communities that not only pre- vents domestic violence and sexual assault, but also ensures that every vic- tim has immediate access to helpful information and emergency assistance. By taking strong public action against this crime, we are creating a society that promotes strong values, fosters a safe, loving home environment for every family, and refuses to tolerate domestic violence in any form. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitu- tion and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2000 as Na- tional Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call upon government offi- cials, law enforcement agencies, health professionals, educators, commu- nity leaders, and the American people to ioin together to end the domestic violence that threatens so many of our people. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Inde- '150

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