Policy Alert: Reintroduction of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Legislation has been filed reauthorizing the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). S. 47, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Michael Crapo (R-ID) improves existing VAWA programs, bolstering efforts to end domestic violence, sexual assaults, and dating violence. According to the National Violence Against Women survey, almost 1 in 3 African-American females has been subject to intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence includes rape, physical assault, or stalking. Therefore, reauthorization of VAWA is critical in ensuring the safety and security of Black women.

VAWA will be coming to the floor of the Senate SOON for a vote. The bill has 50 co-sponsors thus far, and we ask that you contact your Senator to urge their co-sponsorship. (For more information about this legislation, please visit www.thomas.gov.)

So far, the bill has the following sponsors: Senators Ayotte, Kelly (R-NH), Baldwin, Tammy (D–WI), Baucus, Max (D-MT), Begich, Mark (D-AK), Bennet, Michael (D-CO), Blumenthal, Richard (D-CT), Brown, Sherrod (D-OH), Cantwell, Maria (D-WA), Cardin, Benjamin (D-MD), Casey, Robert (D–PA), Collins, Susan (R-ME), Coons, Chris (D-DE), Crapo, Mike (R-ID), Durbin, Richard (D-IL), Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA), Franken, Al (D-MN), Gillibrand, Kirsten (D-NY), Hagan, Kay (D-NC), Harkin, Tom (D-IA), Heinrich,  Martin (D-NM), Heitkamp, Heidi (D–ND), Hirono, Mazie (D-HI), King, Angus (I-ME), Kirk, Mark (R-IL), Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN), Leahy, Patrick (D-VT), Levin, Carl (D-MI), McCaskill, Claire (D-MO), Manchin, Joe (D-WV), Menendez, Robert (D-NJ), Merkley, Jeff (D-OR), Mikulski, Barbara (D-MD), Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK), Murray, Patty (D-WA), Pryor, Mark  (D-AR), Reed, Jack (D-RI), Reid, Harry (D-NV), Rockefeller, John (D-WV), Schumer, Charles  (D-NY), Shaheen, Jeanne (D-NH), Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI), Tester, Jon (D-MT), Udall, Mark (D-CO), Udall, Tom (D-NM), Warner, Mark (D-VA), Warren, Elizabeth (D-MA), Whitehouse, Sheldon (D-RI), Wyden, Ron (D-OR). 

If you don’t see your Senator listed, please contact his or her office!  Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you to your Senators. If you don’t know who your Senators are, you can look them up here. When you’re connected to their offices, tell the person who answers the phone:

1)  I am a constituent from (city and state) and my name is _________.

2)  I urge Senator____ to co-sponsor the S. 47, a strong, bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
 

3) Thank you. I look forward to hearing that the Senator is a co-sponsor.

 Join the Imperative in standing up for Black Women’s health!