Biden in Austin to Visit Domestic Violence Hotline

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden is again coming to Texas to tour a 24-hour, national domestic violence hotline he has long championed.

Biden last visited the Austin-based National Domestic Violence Hotline in 2009. He also came while a U.S. senator from Delaware three years before that.

The hotline helped grow out of the Biden-sponsored Violence Against Women Act which Congress approved in 1994.

Wednesday's visit coincides with the unveiling of the hotline's new Internet chat service.

Hotline President Katie Ray-Jones said more than 100 staff members handle about 22,000 calls a month — but that capacity issues meant they still were unable to get to almost 52,000 calls in 2012 alone.

Meanwhile, the center has seen traffic on its Website increase 30 percent over the past 12 months.

WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

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