Heitkamp Completes Violence Against Women Act Statewide Tour

Press Release

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today completed a statewide tour regarding the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Heitkamp, who helped pass the legislation in the Senate, hosted meetings Bismarck, Fargo, Jamestown, Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Belcourt to talk about how the bill improves the lives of North Dakota families. VAWA, which greatly reduced the instances of domestic violence, expired last Congress.

Last week, the Senate passed a bipartisan reauthorization of the VAWA by a vote of 78-22. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives has failed to act. Heitkamp is calling on the House to pass the reauthorization and send the bill to the President to sign it into law.

"It was very important for me to meet with North Dakotans and discuss how important it is that we reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. I am going to take the input I received back to Washington, DC to continue pushing for this legislation to be signed into law. This has already been delayed too long," said Heitkamp, who saw firsthand effective VAWA was as a state Attorney General. "The facts are clear: VAWA has reduced the incidences of domestic violence by more than 50 percent. It needs to be reauthorized."

"VAWA is important for all North Dakotans, but particularly Native American women. Women in Indian Country experience abuse at a very high rate and our bill includes specific provisions designed to make them safer," Heitkamp continued.

The bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA Reauthorization), S. 47, significantly strengthens the ability of the Federal Government, the States, law enforcement, and service providers to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As with the previous reauthorizations of VAWA in 2000 and 2005, this bill responds to the realities and needs reported by those who work with victims every day to make VAWA even more effective for all victims. This bill is nearly identical to S.1925 from the 112th Congress, which passed out of the Senate with broad bipartisan support, but was never taken up in the House.

A core principle of VAWA since its inception has been combating violence against Native women. The Reauthorization will work to strengthen the existing programs addressing the continuing crisis of violence against women in tribal communities. Women in tribal communities face domestic violence and sexual assault at a much higher rate than those faced by the general population. The bill includes language to provide tribal governments the force they need to prosecute non-Indian perpetrators who commit these crimes on tribal land.

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