Senate Women Press House Colleagues To Support Comprehensive Violence Against Women Act

December 20, 2012 — Democratic women in the Senate are urging House Republican women to support an expanded version of the Violence Against Women Act, the New York Times' "The Caucus" reports (Southall, "The Caucus," New York Times, 12/18).

The House and Senate have been at an impasse over legislation to reauthorize the law since they each approved different versions earlier this year. The Senate bill (S 1925) includes specific protections for undocumented immigrants; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals; and Native Americans, while the House bill (HR 4970) omits such protections (Women's Health Policy Report, 12/13).

According to the "The Caucus," House Republicans are expected to bring a new version of the bill to the floor before the end of the year. However, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said the new bill would be "an absolute nonstarter" in the Senate because it is not expected to include protections for LGBT individuals, immigrants, Native Americans and students.

On Tuesday, Murray and the 11 other Democratic women in the Senate sent a letter to House Republican women asking them to support the Senate bill.

The letter appealed to the House members as "mothers, daughters, grandmothers and women." It added, "Saving the lives of women is and should be above politics, and every one of us without regard to party should cast a vote for the safety of all women" ("The Caucus," New York Times, 12/18).