Tearful lawmaker discusses rape of niece on House floor
Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) on Friday called on members to support the No More campaign against domestic and sexual violence, and said his own family has experienced this issue when his niece was raped.
“Within the last year, my family experienced firsthand the issues of sexual assault,” he said on the House floor as he held back tears. “My beautiful niece, 18 years old, was raped. [WATCH VIDEO]
{mosads}”And we saw that event impact a young life, our family, in a way that I cannot express,” he said. “I come here today to say, no more.”
Reed said he spoke to his niece last night, and asked what she would say to the country if she could speak to the nation.
“Essentially what she said is, ‘no more because there are no excuses,’ ” he said. “No one can make an excuse as to why sexual assault is acceptable. No one should offer an excuse that a woman wanted it, that a woman asked for it.”
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