OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act

Floor Speech

Date: May 16, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Indigenous Peoples Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Criminal Justice

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, although I support the Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors (STOP) grant program, I regretfully had to vote no on final passage of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization (VAWA). Even with the changes in the manager's amendment, the bill that came to the floor today remains a partisan, extremist bill that provides far fewer protections for domestic violence victims than the strong, bipartisan Senate-passed bill.

This bill would put victims of domestic violence in greater danger by rolling back key protections in current law and by excluding entire populations of women, particularly in the LGBT and Native American communities, from these valuable victim protections. Even though VAWA is a critical grant program, I could not support the House GOP version, as such I voted ``nay.''


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