Cline seeks to reauthorize Debbie Smith Act

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Sixth District Congressman Ben Cline (R) visited Harrisonburg on Thursday. He made the trip to Pleasant Valley Elementary School to read to students there for Read Across America Day.

“Reading is so important to just encouraging kids to inquire and ask questions and learn and grow. So I was happy to come read a book called House Mouse Senate Mouse about Congress run by mice,” said Cline.

While Cline was in town WHSV spoke with him about his co-sponsoring of the reauthorization of the Debbie Smith Act.

The Act was first passed in 2004 and distributes federal funds to law enforcement across the country to reduce backlogs of rape kits and other DNA evidence collected from crime scenes to make sure they are analyzed quickly.

“The act needs reauthorizing, it needs additional funding so that these cases don’t grow old again and we can continue to ensure that justice is done when it comes to these horrible crimes,” said Cline.

The amount of funding that goes into preventing these backlogs will be negotiated by the House Appropriations Committee of which Cline is a member.

“The forensic process to select the rape kits and make sure that they are analyzed appropriately hasn’t changed. It just needs more money to make sure that those kits can be done so hopefully I’ll be able to work on the appropriations committee in congress to get that accomplished,” said Cline.

Cline co-sponsored the reauthorization of the bill with Republican Colleagues Ann Wagner of Missouri and Welsey Hunt of Texas and Democrats Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas.

“This is absolutely a bi-partisan initiative these types of horrendous crimes don’t have a partisan angle to them. As a former prosecutor right here in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, I saw many of these cases up close,” said Cline.

Cline also commended Rockingham County Commonwealth Attorney Marsha Garst for the work her office has done to seek justice for victims of sexual assault.

“They have a great victim witness services office that helps victims of crime to make it through the court process. But also making sure that the evidence is there for law enforcement to bring to prosecutors to put to the judge to make sure justice is done. That’s the way it has worked here in Harrisonburg and that’s why we have such a great system that works for the people here,” he said.

Cline said that if the reauthorization passes it would last for about five years.