Posts Tagged Violence Against Women Act

The International Violence Against Women Act: coming soon to a Congress near you

Congress finally passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in February, despite massive opposition from House Republicans; and President Obama signed it into law in March. But the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) has yet to be passed. It is expected to be re-introduced in Congress in the next couple of weeks. But will it pass? And what does it do? To find out I called into a phone conference with three women working to raise awareness about I-VAWA: Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida), member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, who is helping spearhead passage of the bill, Ruth Messinger, President of the American Jewish World Service, and Rupsa Mallik, of CREA, a ...

Congress finally passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in February, despite massive opposition from House Republicans; and President Obama signed it into law in March. But the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) has ...

Breaking: The House likely to pass Senate version of VAWA

Good news: House Republicans are expected to let their watered-down version of the Violence Against Women Act die in order to pass the Senate version of the bill, which includes a provision that licenses Native American courts to prosecute non-Indians on tribal land and protections for LGBT and immigrant victims of violence. The House plans to hold their two votes on Thursday. VAWA could be on the president’s desk for signing as early as Friday. Finally.

Louise Erdrich, author of the recent National Book Award-winning The Round House, has a brutal, literary essay in the New York Times about just how important the new provisions for Native Americans are. She explains the legal system that allows non-Native men ...

Good news: House Republicans are expected to let their watered-down version of the Violence Against Women Act die in order to pass the Senate version of the bill, which includes a provision that licenses ...

A GIF Guide to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

In 1993, U.S. Senator Joseph Biden and the majority staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee conclude a three‐year investigation into the causes and effects of violence against women. In his introduction to the report, Senator Biden states, “Through this process, I have become convinced that violence against women reflects as much a failure of our nation’s collective moral imagination as it does the failure of our nation’s laws and  regulations. We are helpless to change the course of this violence unless, and until, we achieve a national consensus that it deserves our profound public outrage.” President Clinton signs the Violence Against Women Act into law on September 13, 1994. The Act strengthens laws against sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking and provides much-needed ...
In 1993, U.S. Senator Joseph Biden and the majority staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee conclude a three‐year investigation into the causes and effects of violence against women. In his introduction to the report, Senator Biden states, “Through this ...

House GOP lets the Violence Against Women Act expire for first time since 1994

Here’s the sad truth: It is not all surprising that House Republicans have blocked the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) a final time, officially allowing it to expire until the next Congress. This is the first time since the VAWA was first passed in 1994 that it has failed to be re-authorized. The VAWA is normally a bipartisan bill that passes without controversy.

But not under these House Republicans. Given their track record for doing nothing productive for the American people they were elected to represent, it’s not surprising they would throw victims of domestic violence and sexual assault under the bus because they want to ensure no assistance is given to Native Americans, LGBT folks, and ...

Here’s the sad truth: It is not all surprising that House Republicans have blocked the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) a final time, officially allowing it to expire until the next Congress. This is ...

The face of a rape survivor.

The VAWA expired a year ago and Republicans are still blocking reauthorization

While you were out living life, the Violence Against Women Act expired.  For a year now, the infrastructure put in place and sustained by the 1994 landmark legislation has been in flux, leaving the future uncertain.  The law was reauthorized without incident in 2000 and 2005 but this year helping victims of rape and domestic violence has become a partisan issue.  Essentially, House Republicans have held up the renewal of the law because they don’t think all rape victims deserve help.

House Republicans are still blocking the reauthorization, which passed the Senate this spring, because of added protections and services for LGBT, Native American, and immigrant abuse victims.

These are the victims House Republicans deem unworthy of help.  House ...

While you were out living life, the Violence Against Women Act expired.  For a year now, the infrastructure put in place and sustained by the 1994 landmark legislation has been in flux, leaving the future uncertain. ...

House to vote on VAWA reauthorization tomorrow

Last week, the House Judiciary Committee approved their version of the Violence Against Women Act, which compared to current Senate-approved provisions in the bill which would include protections for LGBTQ folks and immigrants, is just not a good look:

The House Judiciary Committee last week approved its version of the reauthorization bill, which not only omits improvements the Senate bill made to the law but also removes existing protections for immigrant women, putting them at greater risk of domestic and sexual abuse.

The Senate’s measure ensures that victims are not denied services because they are gay or transgender. It also strives to ensure that domestic violence crimes committed by non-Indian men in tribal communities are prosecuted. The Senate ...

Last week, the House Judiciary Committee approved their version of the Violence Against Women Act, which compared to current Senate-approved provisions in the bill which would include protections for LGBTQ folks and immigrants,