Congress Fails to Renew the Violence Against Women Act
Scott Westbrook Simpson
For the first time in almost 20 years, partisan disagreements prevented Congress from reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA, enacted in 1994, sought to address the widespread and harmful effect of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking on women and their families. It was updated, expanded and reauthorized in 2000 and 2005 with large bipartisan majorities.
In April on a bipartisan, 68-31 vote, the Senate passed a comprehensive and inclusive bill to reauthorize VAWA. The Senate bill was endorsed by a large coalition of domestic violence advocates as well as law enforcement organizations. Despite this support for the Senate bill, Republican leadership in the House put forward and passed a different version that rolled back protections for some immigrant women and failed to include new provisions that would provide greater protections for students, the LGBT community, and American Indians.
As a result, a broad coalition consisting of domestic violence service providers, women’s groups, law enforcement, civil rights organizations, and representatives of affected communities came together to support passage of the Senate bill, dubbing it the “real VAWA.” Vice President Joe Biden, author of the original VAWA, called passing a bill that protects all victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including immigrants, Native Americans and LGBT Americans, “an issue of basic decency.” President Obama threatened to veto the House bill.
A robust advocacy and media campaign was undertaken by this broad coalition to highlight diverse voices and stories of student, Latino, LGBT and American Indian survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Despite the success of the campaign and the increasing media attention around the need to reauthorize VAWA, the stalemate persisted until Congress adjourned in October.
Following the election, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in partnership with the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, launched a social media campaign aimed at pressuring Congress to reauthorize VAWA during the lame duck session. A Facebook photo campaign, called “Pass VAWA 2012,” asked supporters to submit photos holding signs declaring the need to reauthorize VAWA before the end of the 112th Congress. The campaign went viral within a week, generating more than 400 photo submissions and successfully putting many human faces on this vital issue.
The failure of the 112th Congress to reauthorize VAWA in the lame duck session leaves thousands of students and other victims of domestic violence and sexual assault excluded from the basic protections of the law. It is unconscionable that a person’s immigrant status or sexual orientation should determine whether they can receive needed help. The Leadership Conference will continue to push for passage of VAWA in the 113th Congress.
Scott Westbrook Simpson is the press secretary of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund.
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