Last week Congress voted to approve the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act after letting it lapse in 2011.
Funded at nearly $660 million a year for the next five years, the VAWA funds programs to help prosecute sexual assault and domestic abuse cases.
kAm{@42==J[ E96 >62DFC6 H:== D64FC6 ?62C=J Sb_[___ :? 7F?5:?8 7@C r:E:K6?D p82:?DE $A@FD6 p3FD6 x?4][ H9:49 A2JD 7@C 2 D2=2CJ 7@C :ED @?=J 7F==\E:>6 3:=:?8F2= @FEC6249 4@@C5:?2E@C[ v:D6==6 rCFK56326K2]k^Am
kAm“v:D6==6 92D `af 4=:6?ED[ >@DE @7 H9@> @?=J DA62< $A2?:D9[” D2:5 rp$p tI64FE:G6 s:C64E@C {@C: w2?6J] “u@C >2?J @7 E9@D6 4=:6?ED[ v:D6==6 :D rp$p] }@C>2==J 2 G:4E:> H9@ FD6D @FC D6CG:46D H@F=5 92G6 4@?E24E H:E9 EH@ @C E9C66 @7 @FC H@C<6CD E9C@F89 E96 5:776C6?E AC@8C2>D H6 @776C] qFE D:?46 v:D6==6 :D @FC @?=J 7F==\E:>6 3:=:?8F2= 4@@C5:?2E@C[ D96 92?5=6D 6G6CJE9:?8 7@C E96>]”k^Am
kAmw2?6J D2:5 rCFK56326K2’D A@D:E:@? H2D 7F?565 E9C@F89 E9:D J62C[ 3FE :7 'p(p 925?’E 366? C62FE9@C:K65[ rp$p H@F=5 92G6 925 E@ D6G6C6=J C6DEC:4E :ED $A2?:D9\=2?8F286 D6CG:46D 2?5 C6=J @? G@=F?E66CD C2E96C E92? 2 A2:5 DE277 A6CD@?]k^Am
kAm“x H2D 9@?6DE=J C6=:6G65 H96? r@?8C6DD A2DD65 'p(p[” w2?6J D2:5]k^Am
kAmpAAC@G65 EH:46 D:?46 :ED :?EC@5F4E:@? :? `hhc[ E96 7:89E @G6C E96 4FCC6?E 'p(p 3:== DE2CE65 =2DE J62C 27E6C E96 &]$] w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D G@E65 282:?DE 2 $6?2E6 G6CD:@? @7 E96 3:== E92E H@F=5 2==@H =6D3:2?D[ 82JD[ :>>:8C2?ED 2?5 }2E:G6 p>6C:42? H@>6? 6BF2= 2446DD E@ E96 'p(p AC@8C2>D] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD[ 367@C6 E96 }@G6>36C 6=64E:@?D E96 w@FD6 :?EC@5F465 2 3:== E92E 5:5?’E “:?4=F56 E96 =6D3:2?[ 82J[ 3:D6IF2= 2?5 EC2?D86?56C 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 H2E6C65 5@H? 2 $6?2E6 AC@G:D:@? 2==@H:?8 EC:32= 4@FCED E@ AC@D64FE6 ?@?\x?5:2?D H9@ 2EE24< E96:C x?5:2? A2CE?6CD @? EC:32= =2?5D]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 (9:E6 w@FD6[ H@>6?’D 8C@FAD[ s6>@4C2ED 2?5 D@>6 #6AF3=:42?D 7@F89E 282:?DE E96 w@FD6 G6CD:@? @7 E96 3:==[ w@FD6 $A62<6C y@9? q@69?6C 2==@H65 2 G@E6 @? E96 $6?2E6 G6CD:@?[ H9:49 A2DD65 age\`bg] p>@?8 E9@D6 H9@ G@E65 “?@” H2D #6A] ':4<J w2CEK=6C[ H9@ G@E65 7@C E96 w@FD6 G6CD:@? @7 E96 3:== 3FE ?@E E96 7F== $6?2E6 G6CD:@?]k^Am
kAmw2?6J D2:5 H9:=6 E96 'p(p 8C2?E >2<6D FA @?=J e A6C46?E @7 rp$p’D @G6C2== 3F586E[ ?62C=J 2== @7 E92E >@?6J 8@6D E@H2C5 rCFK56326K2’D D2=2CJ 2?5 36?67:ED[ 2D H6== 2D 96C rp$p\:DDF65 46==A9@?6 E92E 8:G6D $A2?:D9\DA62<:?8 H@>6? ac\9@FC 2 52J 2446DD E@ rp$p AC@8C2>D]k^Am
kAm“x C646:G6 c_ E@ d_ 42==D 2 52J[” rCFK56326K2 D2:5[ “3FE x E9:?< E92E D9@F=5 36 9:896C] x <?@H E96C6 2C6 $A2?:D9\DA62<:?8 H@>6? :? E9:D 4@>>F?:EJ H9@ 2C6 ?@E 86EE:?8 E96 96=A E96J ?665]”k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 3:886DE 32CC:6CD[ 3@E9 rCFK56326K2 2?5 w2?6J D2:5[ :D E96 4F=EFC2= 5:776C6?46 36EH66? w:DA2?:4D 2?5 H9:E6 H@>6?]k^Am
kAm“|2?J @7 E96D6 H@>6? 2C6 7C@> E96 >@F?E2:?D[ E96J’G6 >2CC:65 G6CJ J@F?8 — 2E `c @C `d — 2?5 E9:?< 23FD6 :D ?@C>2=[” rCFK56326K2 D2:5] “%96C6 :D ?@ DF49 E9:?8 2D 5:G@C46] x7 2 H@>2? 8@6D E@ 96C 72>:=J 2?5 D2JD[ ‘|J 9FD32?5 :D 362E:?8 >6[’ 2 =@E @7 E:>6D E96 72>:=J H@?’E 5@ 2?JE9:?8] %96J’== D2J[ ‘v@ 324< E@ J@FC 9FD32?5] %92E’D ;FDE 9@H :E :D]’ ”k^Am
kAm%96D6 H@>6? 2=D@ 7246 2 >2;@C =2?8F286 32CC:6C 2?5[ :7 E96J 4@>6 E@ E96 4@F?ECJ :==682==J[ >2J 36 >@C6 H@CC:65 23@FE 56A@CE2E:@? E92? E96 23FD6 E96J’C6 6IA6C:6?4:?8[ D96 25565]k^Am
kAmp3FD6CD H9@ 2C6 96C6 =682==J @C 2C6 &]$] 4:E:K6?D H:== D@>6E:>6D E9C62E6? E96D6 H@>6? H:E9 56A@CE2E:@? 2?5[ :7 E96:C 49:=5C6? 92G6 366? 3@C? :? E96 &]$][ 2 4@>A=6E6 4FE@77 7C@> 72>:=J]k^Am
kAm“qF:=5:?8 ECFDE :D 2=H2JD E96 7:CDE 2?5 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E9:?8 H6 5@[” rCFK56326K2 D2:5] “x 92G6 E@ =6E E96> <?@H E96J 5@ 92G6 @AE:@?D[ E96J 42? 86E 2H2J 7C@> E96:C 23FD6CD 2?5 5@?’E 92G6 E@ =:G6 :? 762C] xE’D 2 =@?8 AC@46DD[ 3FE :E’D 2G2:=23=6 E@ E96>]”k^Am
kAm%92E AC@46DD :?G@=G6D 2AA=J:?8 7@C 6:E96C 2 'p(p ':D2 @C & ':D2] ~?6 @7 E96 >2;@C DE:4<:?8 A@:?ED 7@C #6AF3=:42? w@FD6 >6>36CD H2D E96 6IA2?D:@? @7 E96 G:D2 AC@8C2>[ H9:49 2==@HD :>>:8C2?ED H:E9@FE 5@4F>6?E2E:@? H9@ 92G6 366? 23FD65 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 2AA=J 7@C 2 G:D2 2?5 6G6?EF2==J 4:E:K6?D9:A]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ[ E@ 2AA=J 7@C 2 'p(p ':D2[ E96 G:4E:> >FDE 6DE23=:D9 E96J’G6 925 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96 23FD6C[ 92G6 366? E96 G:4E:> @7 32EE6CJ @C 6IEC6>6 4CF6=EJ[ C6D:56 H:E9 E96 23FD6C 2?5 92G6 8@@5 >@C2= 492C24E6C] x7 8C2?E65[ 2 'p(p ':D2 8:G6D 2 G:4E:> EH@ J62CD E@ 2AA=J E@ 364@>6 2 &]$] 4:E:K6?]k^Am
kAm& ':D2D C6BF:C6 G:4E:>D E@ 92G6 5@4F>6?E65 AC@@7 @7 E96 23FD6[ :?4=F5:?8 2DD:DE:?8 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E :? 2 42D6 282:?DE E96 23FD6C[ 2?5 492C24E6C C676C6?46D[ 2>@?8 @E96C BF2=:7:42E:@?D] x7 8C2?E65[ G:4E:>D 92G6 7@FC J62CD E@ 2AA=J E@ 364@>6 2 4:E:K6?]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C rCFK56326K2 96=A65 D64FC6 cb 'p(p 2?5 & ':D2D 7@C =@42= H@>6?]k^Am
kAm“& ':D2D 2C6 92C56C E@ 86E] %96J C6BF:C6 >@C6 5@4F>6?E2E:@?[ AC@@7 @7 23FD6 2?5 E2<6 23@FE ?:?6 >@?E9D E@ 4@>A=6E6[” w2?6J D2:5] “p 3:8 A2CE @7 v:D6==6’D ;@3 :D 96=A:?8 G:4E:>D ?2G:82E6 E96 =682= AC@46DD @7 2AA=J:?8 2?5 86EE:?8 2 G:D2] xE’D :?4C65:3=J :?G@=G65 2?5 C6BF:C6D 2 =@E @7 EC2G6= E@ y6776CD@? r:EJ 2?5 z2?D2D r:EJ[ 2D H6== 2D H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 A@=:46 56A2CE>6?E 2?5 E96 W!6EE:D r@F?EJX AC@D64FE@C’D @77:46]”k^Am
kAmp 7@C>6C A9JD:4:2? :? 96C ?2E:G6 |6I:4@[ rCFK56326K2 D2:5 D96 92D ?@ A=2?D E@ =62G6 rp$p[ H96C6 D96 92D H@C<65 7@C 2 564256]k^Am
kAm“(96? x 7:CDE 42>6 E@ $652=:2[ x H2D =@@<:?8 7@C H@C<[ 3FE x H2D H@CC:65 23@FE >J t?8=:D9 D<:==D[ E92E E96J H6C6?’E 8@@5 6?@F89[” D96 D2:5] “x C646:G65 2 A9@?6 42== W7C@> 2 7@C>6C rp$p 5:C64E@CX =@@<:?8 7@C D@>6@?6 H9@ 4@F=5 EC2?D=2E6 2?5 x G@=F?E66C65 7@C E96 A@D:E:@?] x 42?’E :>28:?6 =62G:?8 2?5 5@:?8 2?JE9:?8 6=D6] xE’D G6CJ C6H2C5:?8 H@C<:?8 96C6]”k^Am
kAmw2?6J D2:5 rCFK56326K2 8@6D 23@G6 2?5 36J@?5 H:E9 96C 4=:6?ED]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 AC@8C2> E92E C:G2=D =2C86C >6EC@A@=:E2? 23FD6 DFAA@CE AC@8C2>D 2?5 @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE C62D@?D 7@C E92E :D v:D6==6[” w2?6J D2:5] “r=2DD[ C246[ A@=:E:42= 277:=:2E:@?[ :>>:8C2?E DE2EFD — 23FD6 4C@DD6D 2== =:?6D 2?5 42? 67764E 2?J@?6] x7 H6 5:5?’E 92G6 7F?5:?8 E@ A2J v:D6==6[ x 5@?’E <?@H H92E H6 H@F=5 5@] x 5@ <?@H E96C6 H@F=5 36 2 82A :? E96 ?F>36C @7 H@>6? H6 H6C6 C6249:?8 2?5 G:4E:>D H@F=5 36 8@:?8 F?962C5] x’> G6CJ 8=25 E92E 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ 92AA6?]”k^Am
kAm k^Am
kAmrp$p 9@=5D C68F=2C DFAA@CE >66E:?8D 7@C $A2?:D9\DA62<:?8 G:4E:>D @7 23FD6] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ 42== e`h\__g_ @C E96 rp$p 9@E=:?6 2E gaf\dddd] p== 42==D 2C6 4@?7:56?E:2=]k^Am
