House Approves HR 4970, Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization – Here’s How Your Pol Voted
This afternoon the House approved a bill reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), HR 4970 [watch debate]. The House bill did not include Senate language that extended coverage under VAWA in a variety of ways. The final vote was close, 222 to 205, with 22 “Noes from Republicans, and six “Ayes” from Dems. You can learn how your own representative voted below.
The Hill reported:
Throughout the day, Democrats blasted Republicans for bringing up a bill that does not go as far as a Senate bill to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The Senate bill says explicitly that there can be no discrimination against these people under the VAWA program.
Democrats also prefer Senate language that would give tribal courts jurisdiction over domestic abuse cases, even when the abuser is a not Native American, and said the House bill would shut down a pathway to citizenship to illegal aliens who are given certain visas when they are victims of domestic abuse. The Senate bill also would expand the availability of these visas, language that is not in the House bill because Republicans said it would increase the deficit.
Roll Call Vote – House- VAWA reauthorization – 05-16-2012
