Statement from Senator Coons on Enactment of the Violence Against Women Act into law

Statement

U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, issued the following statement on Thursday after President Obama signed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) into law.

"Domestic violence tears at the fabric of our society and inflicts pain on too many innocent Americans. We can't sit by while domestic violence wreaks havoc in our communities. President Obama's signing of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act sends a clear message that our nation will continue the fight against domestic violence and is committed to working with law enforcement agencies and members of the legal and advocacy communities to prevent violence and assist those who have been hurt.

"The Violence Against Women Act has meant so much to the safety of women in our communities. By reauthorizing this landmark legislation that Delaware's own then Senator Joe Biden first championed in 1994, we are helping to stop these senseless acts of violence and working towards a future where no woman, man, or child will have to live in fear."

Senator Coons was a cosponsor of the legislation in the Senate, worked to strengthen the bill in the Judiciary Committee, and campaigned aggressively on its behalf.

VAWA was first signed into law by President Clinton in 1994, and has since been reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. The Senate voted to reauthorize VAWA on February 12, 2013 and the House of Representatives passed the Senate-version of VAWA reauthorization on February 28, 2013.

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