Cleaver: Violence Against Women Act will protect the vulnerable

(In his EC from DC report, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver writes about the passage of the Violence Against Women Act)



*1 in 4 women in the United States is a victim of domestic violence.

*3 women in our country are murdered by their partners every day.

*1 out of every 6 women has survived attempted or completed sexual assault.

*15 million children in the United States are exposed to domestic violence each year.
These appalling numbers speak for themselves. And the faces behind them make clear why the House passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) this week was so very important. 

The strong, bipartisan VAWA bill contains critical measures to protect vulnerable populations who have suffered too long from violence. This includes Native American women, immigrants, and members of the LGBT community. I was proud to be a cosponsor of the House version (H.R.11) of the Senate bill (S.47) that passed by a vote of 286-138. It was previously passed in the Senate. 

The Leahy-Crapo Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S.47) is a comprehensive bipartisan bill that passed in the Senate, 78-22, with the support of all Democrats, all female Senators, and a majority of Republicans. The bill, supported by the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, a coalition of more than 1,300 organizations, incorporates years of analysis of the problem and solutions proposed by law enforcement, victims, and victims service providers. 

This legislation provides for extended protections of survivors, as well as additional rape kits, a national registry of forensic evidence from sexual assault cases, domestic violence discussions on college campuses, more temporary housing for victims of domestic abuse, and stronger anti-trafficking statutes. 

Women, and men, in Missouri’s Fifth District have had to wait too long – more than 500 days – for the reauthorization of VAWA. Preventing domestic abuse, assisting victims, and prosecuting perpetrators are not partisan issues, but victories in protecting all women and all of those who have suffered in silence. My hope is they will not have to do so any longer. 

The text of the legislation, for which Congressman Cleaver voted, can be found here.