Rep. Raul Ruiz to speak on new legislation after voting in favor of Violence Against Women Act
Rep. Raul Ruiz today voted for the Violence AgainstWomen Act and will discuss the legislation — of which he spoke in favor in hisfirst House floor speech — in Palm Desert tomorrow, his spokeswoman said.
The Violence Against Women Act passed the House of Representatives andU.S. Senate and will go to President Obama for his signature.
Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, will speak about the legislation on Friday at anews conference with local community leaders and elected officials at PalmDesert’s Shelter From The Storm, which aids victims of domestic violence,according to Ruiz spokeswoman Whitney Mitchell said.
Shelter staff, local mayors and police chiefs, representatives from theMorongo Band of Mission Indians, Girl Scouts and the National Organization forWomen and Riverside County Sexual Assault Services staff are expected toattend.
The bill provides stronger protections for women and strengthens theability of the federal government, the states, law enforcement and serviceproviders to fight domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault andstalking, according to Ruiz’s office.
In his first speech on the floor of the House on Wednesday, Ruiz saidthat as an emergency room doctor, “I have seen firsthand the beaten andbruised bodies of women and the invisible scars left on the victim, her familyand community.”
“Native American women in my district and across the country endure anepidemic of domestic violence and in most cases the abusers are not members ofthe tribe,” he said. “Tribes must have the right to protect their daughters,sisters and mothers from violence.”
