The Weekly Video Address can be found here.
The text is below:
More than a year ago I made a commitment to champion the promise in the Constitution of justice and equal rights under the law.
One more bipartisan bill that passed the Judiciary Committee cleared the Senate this week to fulfill this promise.
The Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act passed with a unanimous vote.
Too many kids are falling prey to sexual predators.
The names Johnny Gosch, Eugene Martin and Jetseta Gage bring heartbreak to Iowans.
The original law was enacted in response to notorious cases involving children who had been targeted by adult criminals, many of them repeat sex offenders.
I authored this year’s bill to help prevent future tragedies and ensure that victims have a good shot at justice.
The Adam Walsh bill shows Congress’ steadfast commitment to keeping our children safe from sexual predators and other violent criminals.
Our bill reauthorizes key programs from the original law to help states meet national standards and locate offenders who fail to properly register or re-register.
Programs like the Sex Offender Management Assistance Program and the Jessica Lunsford Address Verification Grant Program are crucial to ensuring that law enforcement can adequately protect the safety of children and keep the public informed.
We also for the first time added a survivors “bill of rights” to codify additional rights for victims of sexual assault.
It assures survivors that their tragedy will not be shoved aside.
