Marino Supports VAWA in Judiciary Committee Mark-Up

Statement

Representative Tom Marino (PA-10) released the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. H.R. 4970 reauthorizes Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs for five years.

"In my experience as a county and federal prosecutor, I have seen first-hand the progress we have made in combating domestic and sexual violence since VAWA was enacted in 1994," said Marino. "We still face challenges that point out the continuing need for VAWA programs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a 2010 survey that more than 12 million Americans were victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner over the course of a year. I strongly support the reauthorization of VAWA so that federal law enforcement and public health agencies can continue to support state and local efforts to bring the perpetrators of domestic violence, intimate partner homicide, and sexual assault to justice."

Originally enacted in 1994, VAWA created programs within the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services intended to improve services for victims of domestic violence and improve the methods used by law enforcement agencies to respond incidents of domestic violence.

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