PROCLAMATION 7129—SEPT. 30, 1998 112 STAT. 3807 obstacles on that path so that all Americans with disabilities have the opportunity to contribute to our national life. To recognize the great potential of people with disabilities and to encourage all Americans to work toward their full integration in the work force, the Congress, by joint resolution approved August 11, 1945, as amended (36 U.S.C. 155), has designated October of each year as "National Disability Employment Awareness Month." NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 1998 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I call upon government officials, educators, labor leaders, employers, and the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities that reaffirm our determination to fulfill both the letter and the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty- ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hxmdred and twenty-third. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7129 of September 30, 1998 National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Domestic violence is a leading cause of injury to American women, and teenage girls between the ages of 16 and 19 experience one of the highest rates of such violence. A woman is battered every 15 seconds in the United States, and 30 percent of female murder victims are killed by current or former partners. Equally disturbing is the impact of domestic violence on children. Witnessing such violence has a devastating emotional effect on children, and between 50 and 70 percent of men who abuse their female partners abuse their children as well. From inner cities to rural communities, domestic violence affects individuals of every age, culture, class, gender, race, and religion. Combatting the violence that threatens many of our Nation's families is among my highest priorities as President. Through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), included in the historic Crime Bill I signed into law, we have more than tripled funding for programs that combat domestic violence and sexual abuse—investing over half a billion dollars since 1994. The Violence Against Women Office at the Department of Justice, which coordinates the Federal Government's implementation of the Act, is leading a comprehensive national effort to combine tough Federal laws with assistance to State and local programs designed to fight domestic violence and aid its victims. With VAWA grants, communities across our country have been able to hire more prosecutors and improve domestic violence training among police officers, prosecutors, and health and social service professionals.
�
