On April 4th, the House of Representatives passed H.R.1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 (VAWA), with strong bipartisan support. As the Senate is working on their VAWA reauthorization, we have to pressure the Senate to ensure the bill is as similar to H.R.1585 as possible. It must maintain important protections for vulnerable survivors while making critical enhancements to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
Your Senators will be home next week for the Memorial Day Recess - and they need to hear from you!!! Go to town hall meetings with your Senators and with others holding town halls in your state. Then, write an op-ed or letter to the editor!
Tell them:
Almost two months ago, the House passed H.R.1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019, with strong bipartisan support.
H.R.1585 is a modest bill that contains vital enhancements to prevent and respond to sexual and domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
The Senate must follow the House’s lead and pass a substantially similar bill.
A straight reauthorization with no improvements is NOT acceptable.
The bill must:
Contain NO rollbacks;
Increase investment in prevention;
Ensure domestic and dating abusers and stalkers do not have firearms;
Affirm Tribes’ inherent authority to prosecute non-Native rapists who prey on Native women on tribal lands;
Improve access to housing for survivors;
Promote economic security for survivors;
Address the criminal-legal system’s revictimization of survivors.
Victims and survivors cannot wait for these critical enhancements! Every day that we delay is a day in which more people experience violence. We cannot afford to maintain the status quo, and we cannot wait. NO STRAIGHT REAUTHORIZATION!
More talking points and background on VAWA can be found here.
Myths and facts about H.R.1585 can be found here.
Please send published op-eds and letters to the editor to rgraber@ncadv.org and drosenbloom@jwi.org. Please also feel free to email them with the results of your town halls!