VAWA Action November 2012

November 16, 2012

While the elections are over, our advocacy continues!  From the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to the housing discrimination and employment leave bills, we hope we can count on you to help push for these proposals before the federal and state legislative sessions end for the year.

The Senate-passed Violence Against Women Act reauthorization extends the 1994 law for four years and adds new protections. It would increase the number of visas available to victims of domestic violence who are undocumented immigrants; ban discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender victims of domestic violence and give more authority to Native American tribes to address domestic violence.

The House version, which passed with considerably less bipartisan support, does not have the new protections. It was modeled after the GOP alternative legislation that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) introduced in the Senate, which failed. Ultimately, Hutchison voted for the bipartisan Senate bill, which was introduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).

CONTACT YOUR U.S. CONGRESSMAN AND U.S. SENATOR TODAY!  Ask them to support ALL victims by reauthorizing the VAWA before the legislative session ends.

SPECIAL NOTE:

JDI extends our appreciation to Senator Scott Brown for his leadership and support of various efforts on behalf of victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.  Senator Brown has been a vocal advocate for VAWA.  We will continue to work with him and his office to push for reauthorization to happen before the end of this legislative session. 

We also offer our congratulations to President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren and Representative-elect Joseph Kennedy along with the returning members of the MA Congressional Delegation and all the winners in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate races. We look forward to working with all of our elected officials to advance policies, systems and practices that meet the needs of all survivors and victims and their children.