NJDC Hails Senate Passage of VAWA, Urges You to Call Your Representative

NJDC — February 13, 2013 – 5:34 pm | Women's Issues Comments (0) Add a comment

NJDC and our Women’s Leadership Network are proud to stand with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in urging the House of Representatives to pass VAWA as soon as possible. Please contact you representative to urge them to support the bill. Now is the time to act.

Below are statements from President Obama and Vice President Biden on VAWA’s passage in the Senate.

President Obama:

Today the Senate passed a strong bipartisan bill to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act.  This important step shows what we can do when we come together across party lines to take up a just cause. The bill passed by the Senate will help reduce homicides that occur from domestic violence, improve the criminal justice response to rape and sexual assault, address the high rates of dating violence experienced by young women, and provide justice to the most vulnerable among us.  I want to thank Senator Leahy and his colleagues from both sides of the aisle for the leadership they have shown on behalf of victims of abuse.  It’s now time for the House to follow suit and send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.

Vice President Biden

Today, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. This law has been incredibly effective and I hope the House will vote without delay to renew the law so that we can continue to assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and hold offenders accountable for their crimes.

Delay isn’t an option when three women are still killed by their husbands or boyfriends every day. Delay isn’t an option when countless women still live in fear of abuse, and when one in five have been victims of rape. This issue should be beyond debate - the House should follow the Senate’s lead and pass the Violence Against Women Act right away. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue - it’s an issue of justice and compassion.

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