May 17, 2012

The House on Wednesday voted to move ahead with a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), after Democrats tried blocking it by raising a point of order.
Democrats oppose the House bill, which omits language prohibiting discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people under the law, does not go as far as a Senate bill to protect Native Americans, and makes it harder for illegal immigrant victims of domestic abuse to stay in the United States.

In early Wednesday afternoon debate, Democrats bristled at the GOP bill, H.R. 4970, because Republicans are not allowing any amendment votes. In a bid to stall the bill, Democrats raised a point of order against the rule for the bill, arguing that the bill contains unacceptable unfunded mandates.

But Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) acknowledged that the real reason for the point of order was to allow Democrats more time to argue against it, given that there will be no amendment debate.

WASHINGTON — After a fierce fight, full of gender politics, the House passed a Republican bill on Wednesday to combat violence against women, over objections from President Obama and other Democrats, who said it would reduce protections for many battered women, including lesbians, American Indians and illegal immigrants.

The 222-to-205 vote clears the way for negotiations with the Senate, which passed a more expansive version last month by a vote of 68 to 31.

Some version of the legislation is likely to become law before elections this fall. But first, Democrats said, they want to force the likely Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, to choose between the House bill and the Senate measure, which was approved with support from 15 Republicans.

Rep. Gwen Moore spoke forcefully against the House version of the Violence Against Woman Act and openly talked about her own experience as a victim of violence and sexual assault.

Moore sponsored the Democratic version of the bill, the twin to the Senate’s re-authorization.

“As a member of this body and a survivor of sexual assault…I can tell you it’s traumatic to be here today and to find my colleagues not taking the recommended updates that people who work with domestic violence victims have put in front of them as best practices,” Moore said at a press conference to denounce the Republican bill.