Senator John Cornyn | Official U.S. House headshot
Senator John Cornyn | Official U.S. House headshot
Today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) called on the House of Representatives to pass his legislation to reauthorize the Debbie Smith Act, which aims to address the backlog of rape kits. The Senate has already passed the bill, and Cornyn emphasized the urgency of swift action from the House.
Cornyn praised Debbie Smith, the namesake of the act, for her tireless efforts in eliminating the rape kit backlog. He acknowledged her significant contribution, stating, "She’s made it her life's work to eliminate this rape kit backlog, and her work is directly responsible for the testing of hundreds of thousands of rape kits and locking up countless violent criminals."
The Debbie Smith Act was initially signed into law in 2004 and has resulted in the prosecution of more than 860,000 DNA cases. However, Cornyn highlighted the unfortunate reality that there is still a backlog of 90,000 cases.
The Senate has unanimously passed the reauthorization of the Debbie Smith Act. However, Cornyn expressed concern about the House's recent passage of a version of the bill that inadvertently deauthorized existing funds for the program. He urged the House to swiftly take up and pass the Senate version to reauthorize the Debbie Smith program for a full five years without jeopardizing any existing funds used by law enforcement to apprehend violent criminals.
The reauthorization of the Debbie Smith Act is crucial in providing state and local law enforcement agencies with the necessary resources to complete forensic analyses of crime scenes and process untested rape kits. It will strengthen the fight against sexual assault and ensure that justice is served for survivors.
The House of Representatives must now act swiftly to pass the Senate bill and contribute to the ongoing efforts to tackle the rape kit backlog. By doing so, they can support the important work of law enforcement agencies and provide justice for survivors of sexual assault.
For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-house-must-pass-senate-bill-to-fight-rape-kit-backlog/
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