Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 706.0

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Unit: $U54

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Cite as: 529 U. S. 598 (2000)

631

Souter, J., dissenting

in the eight separate Reports issued by Congress and its
committees over the long course leading to enactment.8 Cf.
Hodel, 452 U. S., at 278–279 (noting “extended hearings,”
“vast amounts of testimony and documentary evidence,” and
“years of the most thorough legislative consideration”).

With respect to domestic violence, Congress received

evidence for the following ﬁndings:

“Three out of four American women will be victims
of violent crimes sometime during their life.” H. R.
Rep. No. 103–395, p. 25 (1993) (citing U. S. Dept. of
Justice, Report to the Nation on Crime and Justice
29 (2d ed. 1988)).

“Violence is the leading cause of injuries to women
ages 15 to 44 . . . .” S. Rep. No. 103–138, p. 38 (1993)
(citing Surgeon General Antonia Novello, From the
Surgeon General, U. S. Public Health Services, 267
JAMA 3132 (1992)).

“[A]s many as 50 percent of homeless women and chil-
dren are ﬂeeing domestic violence.” S. Rep. No. 101–
545, p. 37 (1990) (citing E. Schneider, Legal Reform
Efforts for Battered Women: Past, Present, and Future
(July 1990)).

“Since 1974, the assault rate against women has out-
stripped the rate for men by at least twice for some
age groups and far more for others.” S. Rep. No. 101–

in the Courts, Final Report (1989); Wisconsin Equal Justice Task Force,
Final Report (Jan. 1991).

8 See S. Rep. No. 101–545 (1990); Majority Staff of Senate Committee on
the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: The Increase of Rape in America,
102d Cong., 1st Sess. (Comm. Print 1991); S. Rep. No. 102–197 (1991); Ma-
jority Staff of Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against
Women: A Week in the Life of America, 102d Cong., 2d Sess. (Comm. Print
1992); S. Rep. No. 103–138 (1993); Majority Staff of Senate Committee
on the Judiciary, The Response to Rape: Detours on the Road to Equal
Justice, 103d Cong., 1st Sess. (Comm. Print 1993); H. R. Rep. No. 103–395
(1993); H. R. Conf. Rep. No. 103–711 (1994).