Domestic Violence Resolution Introduced in Congress by Rep. Ted Poe

“Protecting our children is one of the most important things that we can do for society,” Congressman Poe said in a statement. “Unfortunately, some courts are overlooking potential signs of abuse and are relying on scientifically unsound factors to make decisions that impact a child’s life.”

The resolution describes child abuse as “a major public health issue” that costs the U.S. $124 billion per year. It urges Congress to:

• identify child safety as the first priority in custody and visitation adjudications, considering it before all other interest factors;
• allow only qualified scientific evidence and certified expert testimony to be introduced in cases involving child abuse claims; and
• mandate Congressional hearings around the practices of family courts when handling family violence allegations

Congressman Poe, who co-founded the Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus, added: “In 1990, a congressional resolution helped state courts adopt appropriate policies regarding domestic violence and abuse in state family courts. It is my hope that this new resolution will provide similar encouragement.”

At a public briefing on Tuesday, staff for Congressman Poe will discuss the resolution, and surviving mothers and children will describe their family court experiences. The event is at 12:30 p.m. in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and is hosted by the Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project (DV LEAP), Advocates for Child Empowerment and Safety (ACES) and the National Partnership to End Domestic Violence (NPEIV). Remarks will also be made by Joan Meier, DV LEAP’s founder and legal director and a professor of clinical law at George Washington University, and Dr. Viola Vaughn-Eden from the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work at Norfolk State University.

Introducing Congressman Poe’s staff at the briefing will be former Congressman Greg Laughlin, now a public policy lawyer at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, who was instrumental in persuading his friend and former colleague, Rep. Poe, to introduce the resolution. A Pillsbury team partnered with DV LEAP to draft and advocate for the resolution. The firm also worked with the organization earlier this year to urge the Supreme Court to restrict gun ownership for those convicted of reckless misdemeanors in domestic violence cases.

“We are proud to work with this coalition to protect the rights of women and children,” said Pillsbury counsel Craig Saperstein, who led the firm’s effort on H. Con. Res. 150. “This resolution aims to ensure that states know Congress believes child safety should be the top concern in custody cases, and we look forward to helping raise public awareness about these important issues. Our hope is that this resolution will lead to far fewer cases of child abuse and death at the hands of abusive parents.”

Associates Brenden Hennessey and Chris Leutchen also worked on the Pillsbury team that drafted and advocated for the resolution.