The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Dear Friend,

As a grandmother, nurse, and your Member of Congress, I want to update you on recent action on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA.)

For nearly two decades, every time VAWA has come up for reauthorization, Congress has voted with strong bipartisan support to increase protections for women.

When it came to the issue of protecting women from domestic violence we had always been able to bridge our ideological differences.

But this week the leadership in the House of Representatives put its rigid ideology over common sense compromise, at the expense of relationship violence, sexual assault and stalking survivors.

The vote taken earlier this week is the first time the reauthorization of VAWA has lacked strong bipartisan support.

The House majority’s reauthorization bill rolls back existing protections for domestic violence survivors – and it stands in stark contrast to the bipartisan bill which the Senate passed, and that I pushed to get a vote for in the House.

Over 300 advocacy organizations, including the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the US Conference of Mayors, and the Human Rights Campaign, opposed the House majority’s bill.

This House bill to reauthorize VAWA is a real step back for women and I am extremely disappointed that partisanship has been injected into the issue of protecting women – all women – from domestic violence.

Please know that I will continue to work to ensure that we reauthorize VAWA and ensure that we provide the appropriate protections for domestic violence survivors and all women.

Thank you for the opportunity to share this update with you. As always, please feel free to pass it along to family and friends.

And you are always welcome to keep in touch by visiting my website, liking my Facebook page, following me on Twitter, or signing up for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Lois Capps
MEMBER OF CONGRESS