Violence Against Women Act renewed under scrutiny

The U.S. House of Representatives last week approved the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, a legislation that has provided federal assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence for nearly 20 years.

Reauthorizing the landmark 1994 law, the bill passed with a 286-138 vote and has since been signed into law by President Barack Obama. It was approved after months of delay, as GOP leaders allowed it on the floor only after its substitute version was defeated in a 166-257 vote.

Introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in January, the act works to protect victims, prevent abuse and strengthen legal actions taken against offenders. It also helps create and support rape crisis centers, hotlines and community support programs, as well as provides money for investigating and prosecuting violent crimes against women through the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.

The bill passed the Senate 78-22 on Feb. 12, with all Democrats, all women and a majority of Republicans supporting the bill. The Senate passed a nearly identical measure last April but was met with gridlock in the House.

"We made the Violence Against Women Act our top priority this Congress but it should not have taken this long," Leahy said in a statement. "Still, at a time when we face gridlock and stonewalling on even the most compelling issues, I am glad to see that we could find a way to cut through all of that to help victims of violence."

Among the 22 senators who voted against the Violence Against Women Act last month were Texas' John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Plano), who represents portions of Frisco, did not cast a vote when it was passed in the House on Feb. 28.

Cruz said he voted against the federal law on the grounds that such should be handled by individual states.

"Stopping and punishing violent criminals is primarily a state responsibility, and the federal government does not need to be dictating state criminal law," Cruz said in a statement.

A longtime advocate for victims' rights, Cornyn (R-TX) also voted against the bill. While he said it "could do so much good in the battle for victims' rights," Cornyn called into question the act's inadequacies when it came to offering tribal court jurisdiction, asserting that it removes fundamental constitutional rights from the accused.

Although the "ping-pong" effect of politics surrounding the issue can be somewhat disheartening for its ability to slow the process, having the domestic violence issue at the forefront of the federal government is helpful when it comes to increasing overall awareness, said Patrice Tosi, executive director of Hope's Door in Plano.

For 26 years, the domestic abuse crisis center and shelter has provided counseling, legal aid, shelter and transitional housing for victims of domestic violence and their families.

In the past, Hope's Door has received roughly $50,000 from VAWA funding to pay for its one legal advocate on staff. The shelter is currently not receiving funding for this position, however, due in part to the bill stalling in Congress, but mostly due to the fact that it receives funding for the position through other government grants.

"The real advantage we've encountered has been increased awareness just from having the bill," Tosi said. "It's bringing the issue out. It's a silent epidemic because nobody talks about it. But it crosses all economic statuses and crosses all boundaries. If the federal government is bringing it up, we're finally having that awareness."

Although this isn't the first time Congress has reauthorized the act -- it has been renewed twice before since being written by now-Vice President Joe Biden -- it is the first time it has received this much non-bipartisanship, said Dr. Calvin Jillson, political science professor at SMU.

This time, the bill came under political fire from Republican lawmakers who opposed new provisions laid out by Democrats, which expand it further to include protections for gay, bisexual or transgender victims of domestic abuse. In addition, the bill also allows American Indian women assaulted on reservations by non-Indians to take their case to tribal courts, something the courts currently do not have jurisdiction over.

"The original passage of the act did have bipartisan support, and on the face of it you'd think it always would because no one favors violence against women," Jillson said. "What happened over the intervening almost 20 years is that lots of issues related to women have become more highly political."

The failed House bill offered the same provision, but also offered non-Indian defendants the possibility to take their case to a federal court.

Jillson referred to the 2012 election to explain how politics have become the playing field for women's rights because of the polarization between the parties. Obama beat Mitt Romney at the polls, earning 55 percent of the female vote. Republicans have also lost several high-profile races while receiving backlash from female voters over controversial comments made by candidates about rape or abortion.

Since then, Jillson said, the Republican Party has backed off some to allow approvals of bills like the VAWA and the immigration bill recently passed.

"The parties are separating ideologically but the problem is that Republicans are on the wrong side of the issue in terms of public opinion," Jillson said. "One of the dangers the Republican Party faces on this issue comes up in a number of different ways. They're being viewed as not being as interested as Democrats are in protecting women. For social conservatives within the Republican Party, extending additional rights to lesbians and bisexuals is something that they have a great deal of trouble thinking about."

Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****

 Plano Apartments
 Plano Attorneys
 Plano Auto Dealers
 Plano Auto Parts
 Plano Auto Repair
 Plano Beauty Salons
 Plano Car Rental
 Plano Dentists
 Plano Doctors
 Plano Flowers
 Plano Hotels
 Plano Insurance
 Plano Loans
 Plano Mortgages
 Plano Movers
 Plano Pizza
 Plano Realtors
 Plano Restaurants
 Plano Storage
 Plano Tax Preparation
 Plano Travel
 Featured
 More...