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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsViolence Against Women Act proponents get to work
Posted with permission.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/24/16678168-violence-against-women-act-proponents-get-to-work?lite
Violence Against Women Act proponents get to work
By Steve Benen
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Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:12 AM EST
After decades of bipartisan support, the Violence Against Women Act expired a few weeks ago, after House Republicans blocked a bipartisan Senate bill that would have kept the law alive. For supporters of the 1994 law, which assists victims of domestic and sexual violence, the GOP's indifference to VAWA was outrageous.
But the fight isn't over. This week, Sens. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the lead sponsors of VAWA reauthorization in the last Congress, introduced their bill again, and yesterday, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), herself a victim of domestic assault, introduced an identical measure in the House.
So, is there reason to hope this effort will fare better than last year's bill? Yes. For one thing, as Adam Serwer reported, the new VAWA proposal resolves some procedural concerns House Republicans used as an excuse to ignore the Senate version.
The new version of the bill resolves the House GOP's procedural objection by removing the portion that would have increased the number of special visas allotted for undocumented immigrant victims of domestic violence. Law enforcement uses them to grant legal status to undocumented victims so that those victims can assist in prosecuting their attackers, who might otherwise use their lack of legal status as leverage to keep them silent.
Victims' advocates are hardly thrilled that the provision on law-enforcement visas has been dropped, but they hope to see it resolved in a separate bill -- specifically, comprehensive immigration reform.
What's more, proponents seem to have a larger legislative strategy in mind, designed to overcome far-right opposition.
Sahil Kapur reported that the plan is to "isolate" VAWA critics to secure majority support.
The Senate Republicans flanking Democrats were Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) all VAWA co-sponsors.
"This is not a partisan issue," said Collins. "It cannot be a partisan issue."
"As you can see from the representation here," said Crapo, "it's on a bipartisan basis that we have support for this in the Senate.... We're going to get it done."
At this point, the House GOP has run out of excuses.
longship
(40,416 posts)The House GOP will be our thralls.
Get used to it, Orange Man.