The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) “addresses sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, primarily by providing grants and support to organizations and law enforcement programs that work with domestic violence victims and prevention.” VAWA was originally enacted in 1994 and has continued to be reauthorized over the years, but the Act will expire after September 30, only giving Congress a few weeks to reauthorize the bill.
Just before the current August recess, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) introduced a bill to reauthorize VAWA. Jackson Lee’s VAWA reauthorization bill currently has over 100 sponsors, but none are Republicans. I’m not surprised that my opponent, Rep. Rob Wittman, isn’t a cosponsor of this legislation given that he was one of the people who voted against reauthorizing VAWA in 2013. Wittman voted against reauthorizing VAWA in spite of overwhelming bipartisan support for the measure. Sadly, when you think about how VAWA actually helps women, Wittman’s vote against reauthorization of the Act is incredibly distressing.
There are numerous benefits to VAWA that provides legal protection to individuals (not just women) who are victims of stalking, sexual assault, domestic violence and dating violence. It helps survivors retain housing so they are not evicted or denied housing assistance, and provides funding for legal aid and community violence prevention programs.
According to the Center for Disease Control, more than half of all murdered American women are killed by romantic partners, where 54 percent are gun deaths. VAWA bans those who have been convicted of domestic violence or who are subject to a restraining order from owning a firearm. This bill is a good thing for protecting women.
Additionally, VAWA created the federal Office on Violence against Women (OVW). The OVW helped create specialized courts, prosecution and policing surrounding this specific issue, funded national programs like the National Domestic Violence Hotline and supported a variety of national training and technical assistance projects so agencies are equipped to help victims of violence.”
The benefits of VAWA cannot be overstated.
If elected to represent the 1st Congressional District of Virginia, I would be proud to be listed as a cosponsor and vote in support of the reauthorization of VAWA. The question is, why isn’t Rob Wittman willing to do the same?
Vangie Williams
Candidate for Congress
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Vangie Williams is a public servant and strategic planner who solves problems for our federal government. A real-world professional with 30 years of experience, Vangie is not a career politician who will put corporate interests above people. She is committed to an economy for everyone, healthy families and investing in our communities. Learn more about her vision to put people first at www.vangieforcongress.com.
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