Statement from Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown on Vice President Joe Biden's Announcement of Newly Appointed White House Advisor on Violence Against Women
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 26, 2009) – Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown released the following statement today after he attended the announcement of the newly appointed White House Advisor on Violence Against Women by Vice President Joe Biden and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Relations and chair of the President’s Council on Women and Girls. He then participated in a closed press roundtable discussion with domestic violence advocates led by the Vice President and Ms. Jarrett.
“I applaud President Obama and Vice President Biden for the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Lynn’s efforts and dedication to the safety of women across the country exemplifies her leadership in providing the necessary resources and information to combat this issue. With over 10 years of experience working with battered women and their children, her role as an advocate for women will be an asset to the Obama-Biden administration.”
“Domestic violence is no longer an issue that can hide from the public. It is an issue that we face everyday; our mothers, daughters and sisters are affected. I look forward to working with the Vice President, Ms. Jarrett and Ms. Rosenthal to reduce incidents of domestic violence and eliminate the number of domestic violence related deaths.”
“Governor O’Malley and I understand we still have a great deal of work to do; we will continue to serve as advocates and a voice for all victims especially those who are too afraid to speak and cannot speak for themselves.”
The first obligation of any government is to protect the public safety of its citizens. Effective October 1, provisions of Maryland’s firearms laws will be in compliance with the Federal Violence Against Women Act, written by then Senator Joe Biden, in 1994. The new laws concerning domestic violence will take firearms out of the hands of domestic abusers and will provide judges with an additional tool to ensure the safety of Maryland's families. The O’Malley-Brown administration has made public safety a top priority. Maryland has allocated $3.3 million in federal funding through the Governor’s Grants Office as part of the Violence of Crime Act to combat domestic violence.
Lt. Governor Brown’s public life is inspired by personal experience. After his cousin Cathy was killed by her estranged boyfriend last summer, Brown along with Governor Martin O'Malley pledged to do more to fight back against domestic violence. Brown led Maryland's efforts to successful remove firearms from the hands of domestic abusers while protecting the public safety of its citizens.
