BREAKING NEWS: Thanks to Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mark Udall (D-CO), we now have 56 sponsors for S. 1925!!!  Because we are SURE that we’ll get 60 in the weeks ahead, we now need to ask Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to schedule a Senate floor vote SOON.  We know that we have the votes, and we need to move this bipartisan VAWA before the rancor of election year politics ties up both Houses of Congress!

Call Senator Reid’s office with this message:

“We need Senator Reid to continue to be our champion for the whole country.  Please sponsor the Violence Against Women Act and schedule S. 1925 for a floor vote as soon as possible.”

If you are not from Nevada 202-224-3542 DC office

If you are from Nevada: 775-686-5750 Reno office

Thank you from all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking who have no voice and need our support!

To see if your Senator has signed on to VAWA, click here, select search by bill number, and type in S. 1925 in the search box.  The Senate has been out of session for a week so any new sponsors may not have been added.

S.1925, the “real” VAWA, has 54 Senate sponsors!!!  We have set March 20^th—the first day of spring to reach our goal of 60 filibuster-proof sponsors.  Last week, Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) signed on so we are only 6 senators shy of our goal!

We can do it! 

In the meantime, everyone needs to thank the 54 Senate champions and thank your Representative for speaking out in support of VAWA, for being a champion in the past and/or for being willing to work with Judiciary Chairmen Lamar Smith (R-TX) and John Conyers (D-MI) .

1. Let’s get to 60 co-sponsors of S. 1925!  Both the House and Senate are back in DC this week, so if your Senator is not a VAWA sponsor, call them at their Hill office, ask for the staff person who handles VAWA and offer to help them convince their Senator to sponsor S.1925. 
2. Use the local media and press to thank your Members who are supportive and to wonder why the others are not on board. 
3. Ask for meetings or conference calls with your House member to discuss VAWA.  The bill may be introduced in the next 3-4 weeks and we want everyone on board. 

There is one new Senator who OUGHT to be a sponsor of VAWA!  Please contact him today: Udall, Mark (D - CO),  and others who have expressed interest in VAWA and have been supportive of program funding and services in the past. Ask them to step up to this crisis: Alexander, Lamar (R – TN), Ayotte, Kelly - (R - NH), Enzi, Michael (R – WY), Graham, Lindsey (R - SC), Heller, Dean (R – NV), Kyl, Jon - (R - AZ),  Lugar, Richard (R - IN), and Manchin, Joe (D - WV). 

Action 2: As part of our thank you effort, make sure your thanks get into the local paper or on the web. Good examples of state and local organizations and coalitions issuing press releases and web spots featuring VAWA’s champions can be seen below:

• In Texas, the state DV and SA coalitions issued a joint statement:  CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE LAMAR SMITH AND CONGRESSMAN TED POE HIGHLIGHT SUCCESSES OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT IN TEXAS AND SUPPORT VAWA REAUTHORIZATION and highlighted important public statements by their state’s Members: Chairman Smith noted his continuing strong support of VAWA since initial passage in 1994, and he further declared, “It is essential that programs like these are in place to protect victims not just from physical bruises but from the emotional and mental scars as well.  Funding through VAWA has helped women escape abuse and rebuild their lives.” Congressman Poe reflected on his experience as a long time judge in Harris County: “I remember when domestic violence was treated by law enforcement as a family problem, not as social health issue or a crime.  I am glad we have moved away from that concept.  We’re not talking about statistics here, we’re talking about real people that are hurt by others who claim they love these people.”

• In Delaware,  the state DV coalition joined with a county Police Lieutenant Teresa Williams and VAWA sponsor Senator Chris Coons to promote VAWA. Click here to see the coverage.   
  

Action 3: Continue thanking and talking to members of the House Judiciary Committee – they are the ones who will vote on VAWA and determine its content. Especially thank Representatives present at the House Judiciary Hearing on Thursday, February 16 and ask them to support REAL VAWA reauthorization! All members present (Chair Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Minority Leader Scott (D-VA), and Reps. Poe (R-TX), Adams (R-FL), Gowdy (R-SC), Chu (D-CA), Johnson (D-GA), and Chaffetz (R-UT)) had something positive to say about VAWA. We were all particularly moved by Rep. Gowdy’s statement. You can view the webcast here (go to 1:05 to listen to Congressman Gowdy’s comments). Listen to your representative’s testimony, thank them for attending the hearing, and urge them to support the REAL VAWA! Whether your Judiciary Committee Rep attended or not, call them today with this message: “Support REAL VAWA reauthorization!” The House needs to hear a loud and clear message from advocates NOW that only the language in S.1925 represents REAL VAWA reauthorization. Anything less fails to meet the needs of ALL victims. Use our talking points on this issue when you make your call.

Set up meetings in your state or ask for a conference call with your Representative or a senior staff person to talk with you and other VAWA supporters. In Joliet, IL, local advocates met with Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL) and heard positive support from her and reported the meeting to the local paper.  Click here to read the story.  

To see if your Senator has signed on to VAWA, click here go to  and type in S.1925 in the bill search box.  The Senate has been out of session for a week so any new sponsors may not have been added.

The Violence Against Women Act has always had as its core mission to protect and serve ALL victims of intimate partner violence and to tear down barriers that stand in the way of victim safety and access to justice.  S.1925 is no different, particularly when it comes to Native women.  S.1925 contains language that would remove some of the systemic barriers that prevent American Indian and Alaska Native victims from bringing their perpetrators to justice.  These tribal improvements included in VAWA are also contained within S. 1763, the Stand Against Violence & Empower Native Women Act (SAVE Native Women Act) and they are essential to the safety of Native women.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Action 1: Call your Senator, especially if they are VAWA sponsors or have Indian tribes in their state who they care about.  Ask them to sponsor S.1763, the SAVE Native Women Act!

Violence against Native women has reached epidemic proportions. Native women are 2.5 times more likely than other U.S. women to be battered, raped, or stalked: 34% of Native women will be raped in their lifetimes and 39% will be the victim of domestic violence.   This statistical reality leaves young Native women wondering not “if” they will be raped, but “when.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has found that the current system of justice, in which tribal governments have no authority over non-Indian perpetrators committing these crimes on tribal lands, is “inadequate to stop the pattern of escalating violence against Native women.” Currently, in most cases, the federal government has exclusive responsibility to investigate and prosecute major and minor on-reservation crimes. Despite this obligation, a 2010 GAO report shows that there is no prosecution in 67% of sexual assaults in Indian country.  S. 1763 and Title IX of S. 1925 will address violence at the early stages by giving victims access to justice in the local tribal court—where authorities are closest to the crime and best equipped to handle these prosecutions. 

S. 1763, the SAVE Native Women Act attempts to enhance the safety of Native women by:

1)    giving tribes more local control to investigate and prosecute crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protection orders that occur in Indian country regardless of the perpetrator’s race;

2)    clarifying that tribes have full civil authority to issue and enforce orders of protection against all persons on tribal lands; and

3)    increasing support for Tribal Domestic and Sexual Assault Coalitions.

While VAWA (S. 1925) has 54 sponsors, S.1763 has just 13 co-sponsors. Please call your Senators and urge them to co-sponsor S.1763, the SAVE Native Women Act! 

Click here to contact your Senators.  

Action 2: Call or write your House representative and tell them you strongly support the tribal amendments, especially those found in S.1925.

S.1925, the VAWA Reauthorization that passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 7^th has achieved broad, bipartisan support, contains the same key tribal amendments as those contained in the SAVE Native Women Act.  These provisions will greatly improve the safety of Native women while holding perpetrators in Indian country accountable regardless of the perpetrator’s race.  These critical tribal provisions were carefully crafted in consultation and collaboration with tribal leaders and victims’ advocates.  The tribal provisions have been the subject of extensive hearings by the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

The House of Representatives will be introducing a companion bill to S.1925 in coming weeks.  Please call your Representatives today and ask them reinforce their support for VAWA and help address violence in Indian country by supporting inclusion of the tribal provisions in the House VAWA as well. Remind them that VAWA is a critical tool for Indian tribes to respond to the epidemic rates of domestic violence and sexual assault on tribal lands.   If they have questions, tell them to contact Katy Jackman at the National Congress of American Indians at kjackman@ncai.org.

Action 3: Take time to learn the facts about the tribal provisions of VAWA so that you can educate others on these critical provisions.

Indian issues and the specific set of laws surrounding them are very complex and can be intimidating to the untrained eye.  It is important that you have accurate and up-to-date information about the tribal amendments and their effects so that you can educate others on the significance of these proposals.  Take time to review briefing papers, fact sheets, and news articles about the tribal provisions of VAWA on this website.  The U.S. Department of Justice has studied the crisis of violence against Native women extensively and their specific recommendations for better protecting Native women—which are included in S.1925 and S.1763—are available on the NTF website for your review as well.  These documents are particularly helpful if you want a more in-depth view of the public safety situation on tribal lands and the need for improvements of the kind proposed. 

Now is the time for all of us to stand together to end violence against Native women—and all girls and women, boys and men.

Thank you Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Mark Udall (D-CO) for joining Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Senator Nelson (D-FL), Senator Brown (D-OH), Senator Inouye (D-HI), Senator Merkley (D-OR), Senator Warner (D-VA) and 48 other Senators for supporting VAWA.  We are half way to reaching our goal.  We have a majority in the Senate, but we need 4 more Senators by March 20th.  We can do it!

Senators Leahy (D-VT) and Crapo (R-ID) want to bring the Violence Against Women Act (S. 1925) to the Senate floor for a vote before April 1 in order to avoid the fray of budget/appropriations/campaign politics. Right now, VAWA has 56 sponsors, including 5 Republicans. BUT we’ll need 60 votes to avoid a filibuster and secure a floor vote and passage.  See below on who needs to hear from us. Together we can reauthorize VAWA!

There are 8 Senators who have been VAWA sponsors in the past. Maybe they just need to be reminded and for sure they need to be persuaded. VAWA programs and services are under-funded and under attack.  It’s time to step up for victims of sexual assault and dating, domestic and stalking violence. Please reach out to these Senators and their staff today: Ayotte, Kelly (R - NH),  Cochran, Thad  (R - MS), Cornyn, John (R - TX), Grassley, Chuck (R - IA), Hatch, Orrin (R - UT), Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R – TX), Pryor, Mark (D - AR), Snowe, Olympia (R - ME)

There are 9 Senators who have expressed interest in VAWA and have been supportive of program funding and services in the past. Ask them to step up to this crisis. Alexander, Lamar (R – TN),Coburn, Tom (R – OK ), Enzi, Michael (R – WY), Graham, Lindsey (R - SC), Heller, Dean (R – NV), Kyl, Jon - (R - AZ), Lee, Mike (R – UT), Lugar, Richard (R - IN)

Please be sure to thank all the Senators who have signed on to support the Reauthorization of VAWA:  Leahy, Patrick J. (D - VT), Akaka, Daniel K. (D - HI), Baucus, Max  (D - MT), Begich, Mark  (D - AK), Bennet, Michael F. (D - CO), Bingaman, Jeff (D - NM), Blumenthal, Richard (D - CT), Boxer, Barbara (D - CA), Brown, Scott P. (R - MA), Cantwell, Maria (D - WA), Cardin, Benjamin L. (D - MD),  Tom Carper (D - DE), Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D - PA), Collins, Susan M. (R - ME), Conrad, Kent  (D - ND), Coons, Christopher A. (D - DE), Crapo, Mike  (R - ID),Durbin, Richard J.  (D - IL), Feinstein, Dianne (D - CA), Franken, Al (D - MN), Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (D - NY), Hagan, Kay R. (D - NC), Harkin, Tom (D - IA), Johnson, Tim (D - SD), Kerry, John F.  (D - MA), Kirk, Mark  (R - IL), Klobuchar, Amy  (D - MN), Kohl, Herb (D - WI), Landrieu, Mary L. (D - LA), Lautenberg, Frank R. (D - NJ), Levin, Carl  (D - MI), Lieberman, Joseph I. (ID - CT), Manchin, Joe (D - WV) McCaskill, Claire - (D - MO), Menendez, Robert (D - NJ), Mikulski, Barbara A. (D - MD), Murkowski, Lisa (R - AK), Murray, Patty  (D - WA), Nelson, Ben  (D - NE), Nelson, Bill (D - FL), Reed, Jack  (D - RI), Rockefeller, John  - (D - WV), Sanders, Bernard  (I - VT), Schumer, Charles E. (D - NY), Shaheen, Jeanne (D - NH), Stabenow, Debbie (D - MI), Tester, Jon (D - MT),Udall, Tom - (D - NM), Webb, Jim - (D - VA),Whitehouse, Sheldon  (D - RI), Wyden, Ron (D - OR)

You can still help even if you don’t live in any of the target states.  Share the 4vawa.org site with your friends and family who live in these target states, and ask them to contact their Senators. Thank you. Together we can Reauthorize VAWA!

HOORAY!!!  We did it!  We met our goal of adding 10 new co-sponsors by Valentine's Day.  Thank you Senator Nelson (D-NE) and Senator Webb (D-VA) for joining, Senator Baucus (D-MT), Senator Bennet (D-CO), Senator Conrad (D-ND), Senator Udall (D-NM), and Senator McCaskill (D-MO) Senator Akaka (D-HI),  Senator Lieberman (D-CT), Senator Tester (D-MT) and the 38 other Senators in supporting the Reauthorization of VAWA!

Now, we just need 10 more by March 1st, and 2 more by the Spring Solstice March 20th. That's 12 more total!  We're on our way! 

Senators Leahy (D-VT) and Crapo (R-ID) want to bring the Violence Against Women Act (S. 1925) to the Senate floor for a vote before April 1 in order to avoid the fray of budget/appropriations/campaign politics. Right now, VAWA has 46 sponsors, including 5 Republicans. BUT we’ll need 60 votes to avoid a filibuster and secure a floor vote and passage.  See below on who needs to hear from us. Together we can reauthorize VAWA!

There are 10 Senators who have been VAWA sponsors in the past. Maybe they just need to be reminded and for sure they need to be persuaded. VAWA programs and services are under-funded and under attack.  It’s time to step up for victims of sexual assault and dating, domestic and stalking violence. Please reach out to these Senators and their staff today:   Carper, Thomas (D - DE),  Cochran, Thad  (R - MS), Cornyn, John (R - TX), Grassley, Chuck (R - IA), Hatch, Orrin (R - UT), Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R – TX), Inouye, Daniel (D - HI)  , Nelson, Bill (D - FL), Pryor, Mark (D - AR), Snowe, Olympia (R - ME)

There are 4 new Senators who OUGHT to be sponsors of VAWA. Talk to them and their staff and tell them about how VAWA has helped promote awareness and support services and needs them to be champions – and sponsors!  Please contact them today:    Brown, Sherrod (D - OH), Merkley, Jeff (D - OR), Udall, Mark (D - CO) , Warner, Mark (D - VA) 

There are 9 Senators who have expressed interest in VAWA and have been supportive of program funding and services in the past. Ask them to step up to this crisis. Alexander, Lamar (R – TN),Coburn, Tom (R – OK ), Enzi, Michael (R – WY), Graham, Lindsey (R - SC), Heller, Dean (R – NV), Kyl, Jon - (R - AZ), Lee, Mike (R – UT), Lugar, Richard (R - IN), Manchin, Joe (D - WV) 

Please be sure to thank all the Senators who have signed on to support the Reauthorization of VAWA:  Leahy, Patrick J. (D - VT), Akaka, Daniel K. (D - HI), Baucus, Max  (D - MT), Begich, Mark  (D - AK), Bennet, Michael F. (D - CO), Bingaman, Jeff (D - NM), Blumenthal, Richard (D - CT), Boxer, Barbara (D - CA), Brown, Scott P. (R - MA), Cantwell, Maria (D - WA), Cardin, Benjamin L. (D - MD), Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D - PA), Collins, Susan M. (R - ME), Conrad, Kent  (D - ND), Coons, Christopher A. (D - DE), Crapo, Mike  (R - ID),Durbin, Richard J.  (D - IL), Feinstein, Dianne (D - CA), Franken, Al (D - MN), Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (D - NY), Hagan, Kay R. (D - NC), Harkin, Tom (D - IA), Johnson, Tim (D - SD), Kerry, John F.  (D - MA), Kirk, Mark  (R - IL), Klobuchar, Amy  (D - MN), Kohl, Herb (D - WI), Landrieu, Mary L. (D - LA), Lautenberg, Frank R. (D - NJ), Levin, Carl  (D - MI), Lieberman, Joseph I. (ID - CT), Menendez, Robert (D - NJ), Mikulski, Barbara A. (D - MD), Murkowski, Lisa (R - AK), Murray, Patty  (D - WA), Reed, Jack  (D - RI), Rockefeller, John  - (D - WV), Sanders, Bernard  (I - VT), Schumer, Charles E. (D - NY), Shaheen, Jeanne (D - NH), Stabenow, Debbie (D - MI), Tester, Jon (D - MT), Whitehouse, Sheldon  (D - RI), Wyden, Ron (D - OR)

You can still help even if you don’t live in any of the target states.  Share the 4vawa.org site with your friends and family who live in these target states, and ask them to contact their Senators. Thank you. Together we can Reauthorize VAWA! 

Thanks to all of our valiant VAWA Supporters, S.1925, the Leahy/Crapo bill to Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Feb.2! 

In the past few days, we’ve called upon activists in every state and territory to help send a strong message to the Senate about the importance of this bill and the various provisions in it.  And you did it – key Senate offices were flooded with calls making it clear that ALL of the VAWA bill is important.  You were not willing to abandon any principle or constituency. Thank you!  You really made a difference!

What exactly passed?

As expected, Senator Leahy offered a “Manager’s Amendment” which replaced the original S.1925 and the new version was accepted by unanimous consent.   The new version  included modifications in response to requests from other Senators and from the field.  It retained key provisions such as the pieces addressing tribal jurisdiction, underserved populations, communities of color and immigration and so many more!  The Amendment retained the funding levels that were in the introduced bill (already reduced to 2000 reauthorization levels) and also retained the “no match” requirement for victim service providers.  Your support made all of this possible. 

There were other amendments offered as well.  Two that passed were an amendment increasing penalties for a third offense of drunk driving and a controversial amendment to instate a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault.

Not approved was  an amendment offered by Senator Grassley that would replace all of the Leahy/Crapo bill to reauthorize VAWA.  This Amendment would have weakened and undermined VAWA in many ways including a massive reduction in authorized funding to 40% lower than the Leahy/Crapo bill.  It would have eliminated services and protections from violence for communities of color and LGBTQ communities. It would have stripped historic provisions to improve the ability of tribal governments to hold offenders accountable and re-defined youth eliminating those aged 20 to 24—taking away the ability of advocates to serve the population most at risk of dating violence.  The Amendment would have eliminated the engaging men program that helps men and boys become anti-violence advocates and would greatly reduce the ability of middle schools, high schools and colleges to do prevention education with young people.  Perhaps most offensively and antithetical to all the great work that has been accomplished under VAWA, the Amendment would have eliminated the Office on Violence Against Women.  There was a definite hostility to providing services and programs for the broadest possible groups of victims.  Click here to read (the amendment offered by) Senator Grassley's statement.  

While the destructive Grassley Amendment was defeated in committee, it was a party line vote.  All 8 republican senators on the committee (Grassley-IA, Hatch-UT, Kyl-AZ, Sessions-AL, Graham-SC, Cornyn-TX, Lee-UT and Coburn-OK) voted for the destructive Amendment.  Luckily, all 10 committee democrats (Leahy-VT, Kohl-WI, Feinstein-CA, Schumer-NY, Durbin-IL, Whitehouse-RI, Klobuchar-MN, Franken-MN, Coons-DE and Blumenthal-CT) voted against the Amendment.  Please call these Senators and thank them for their support of VAWA!

What now?

Our efforts to move VAWA along must continue.  We are still asking local, state, tribal and national organizations and agencies to sign on to the letter in support of VAWA. While the dramatic size and breadth of the list of supporters is impressive, we want to continue to add to it until no Member of Congress can possibly oppose the VAWA reauthorization.  Reach out to others in your community and encourage their support.  The current version of the letter can be viewed in the VAWA Supporters Section of 4vawa.org. To add your organization or agency to the list of supporters please email us at reauthorizeVAWA@gmail.com.  

We are also continuing to ask Senators to sign on to co-sponsor S.1925.  Your calls are working!  We’ve had a number of Senators sign on in the past 72 hours and are up to 36 at this writing, including 5 Republicans.  Let’s keep up the pressure.