Surface Transportation Act

Floor Speech

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NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS WEEK

Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I expect that a resolution authorizing National Crime Victims' Rights Week will be adopted unanimously by the Senate in a few moments. I wanted to come to the floor today and reaffirm my support for the rights and needs of survivors of crime. I also wanted to express my gratitude to the dedicated advocates of crime victims as well as the health and law enforcement professionals who work to fight crime and help its victims recover.

Keeping our neighborhoods and communities safe is and will always be a top priority of this country. But close to 20 million Americans are victims of crime each year, and these individuals and their families are confronted with unique and difficult challenges. Acts of crime inflict lasting physical, emotional, and psychological wounds that take time and care to heal. It is important that the necessary resources and services be available to help rebuild the lives of crime survivors.

National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which our Nation has commemorated annually for the last 30 years, renews our commitment to those impacted by crime and the ways we can help them move forward. It is a time for remembrance and reflection, a moment to pause and honor victims, advocates, professionals, and volunteers.

This year's theme is ambitious but critical: ``Extending the Vision: Reaching Every Victim.'' This calls on each of us to make sure that all victims get the help they need. Too many victims are still unable to receive the protections and services they deserve. Our efforts toward better safety and security now are integral to ensuring the safety and security of future generations.

On April 8, 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Crime Victims' Rights Week. As a former prosecutor myself, I remember when the concept of victims' rights was practically unknown as few mechanisms for victim assistance and support even existed. With this first proclamation, President Reagan fulfilled an important and long-awaited call to put the concerns and rights of crime victims on the national agenda.

As President Reagan said in the first proclamation in 1981:

We need a renewed emphasis on and an enhanced sensitivity to the rights of victims. These rights should be a central concern of those who participate in the criminal justice system, and it is time all of us paid greater heed to the plight of victims.

This pioneering vision of President Reagan is one we continue to embrace today.

We are blessed to live in a nation of Good Samaritans, and we have achieved impressive strides toward helping crime victims get the services they need. But the task of preventing crime and healing its harmful effects remains a constant battle. Technology, globalization, and new types of criminal behavior have made the challenge before us more complex than ever before.

Our fight against crime in the 21st century will take strategic partnerships at the local, State, and national levels. It will rely on supportive, vigilant, and compassionate communities and individuals. Serving these individuals is more than an act of kindness; it helps make all of our homes, neighborhoods, and communities safer and stronger.

The resolution I have submitted with Senators Leahy, Schumer, and Grassley and which I expect to be passed today supports the mission and goals of this year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week. I urge my colleagues to continue supporting those who have suffered crimes' effects and a renewed commitment toward reducing crime during this week, which this year will be observed the week of April 22.

In closing, we have come a long way since the days when crime victims had few rights and services. Yet it is also true that too many crimes are still committed and too few are reported and that many victims struggle to overcome the lasting effects of crime. I am pleased that National Crime Victims' Rights Week offers us the opportunity each year to highlight the needs of crime survivors, recognize those who help them, and engage the public in the fight for victims' rights.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I yield the floor, and I note the absence of a quorum.

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