**The full roundtable discussion is available HERE**

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH-02), founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, led a virtual roundtable discussion with survivor and bestselling author Stephanie Land and other Members of Congress. During the roundtable, the Members asked Land about her experience navigating federal support channels, the financial challenges facing survivors leaving abusive relationships, and the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act to ensure critical services and support are available to survivors.

“I want to extend my most sincere thank you to Stephanie Land for joining the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence today, and for sharing her experience and perspective as a survivor,” said Rep. Kuster. “It can be incredibly difficult for survivors to escape their abusers, but even after they escape, a whole new world of challenges is waiting for them. From rebuilding their lives from scratch to finding work to navigating complicated federal support programs, we must do more to support survivors as they recover. That’s what we are working towards in Congress.”

"Domestic violence knows no boundaries, and it is especially difficult to escape. Oftentimes, for people living in poverty, it is impossible,” said Stephanie Land. “In my own experience, by escaping emotional abuse with my infant daughter, I was looked down upon in the court system as taking my child from a ‘stable’ home to live in a homeless shelter. I'd already discovered the huge gaps in supposed safety net programs, and now I had a judge in open court telling me that a reasonable person would not feel threatened before he denied my motion for an order of protection. This is especially important for people to realize before they ask why the victim doesn't leave the relationship." 

Members of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence who participated in the roundtable discussion included Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN-01); Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07); Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI-04); and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-27).

Kuster is a fierce advocate for survivors in Congress. Earlier this year, Kuster introduced the bipartisan National Sexual Assault Hotline Grants Reauthorization Act, legislation to reauthorize important federal grants for the National Sexual Assault Hotline (NSAH). NSAH, operated by RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), is the nation’s primary provider of services to survivors of sexual violence and includes the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline (NSAOH).

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Founded in 2017 by Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02), Patrick Meehan (PA-07), Jackie Speier (CA-14), and David Joyce (OH-14), the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence brings together Republicans and Democrats to advance legislative proposals and initiatives to address sexual violence. 

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