On Thursday, February 7th, the reauthorization vote on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) S. 47, a bi-partisan bill, was delayed in the Senate. A vote is expected early next week – probably late Monday, February 11th.

The Violence Against Women Act is vital federal legislation that provides funding and protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence. VAWA was first authorized in 1994, but was not reauthorized in 2012 because some republicans opposed the bill’s protections for LGBTQ and Native American victims and immigrant victims of domestic violence seeking Visas.

Yesterday, the Senate did reject a Republican alternative to S. 47. The alternative bill would have stripped protections for LGBTQ victims of domestic violence, removed a provision for Native American women, and shifted the focus of VAWA way from women and toward men.

What Can I Do?

We urge you to call your Senators on Monday, February 11th, and ask them to vote for S.47, a strong bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, and vote NO on any further amendments that weaken VAWA’s protections.

You can call the Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators.

Please thank the Senators already co-sponsoring S. 47:

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), Boxer, Barbara (D-CA), Brown, Sherrod (D-OH), Cantwell, Maria (D-WA), Cardin, Benjamin (D-MD), Carper, Thomas (D-DE) Casey, Robert (D–PA), Collins, Susan (R-ME), Coons, Chris (D-DE), Cowan, Mo (D- MA), Crapo, Mike (R-ID), Donnelly, Joe (D-IN) 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), Heller, Dean (R-NV), Hirono, Mazie (D-HI), Johnson, Tim (D – SD), Kaine, Tim (D-VA) King, Angus (I-ME), Kirk, Mark (R-IL), Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN), Landrieu, Mary (D-LA), Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ) 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), Moran, Jerry (R-KS), Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK), Murphy, Christopher (D-CT) Murray, Patty (D-WA), Nelson, Bill (D-FL) Pryor, Mark (D-AR), Reed, Jack (D-RI), Reid, Harry (D-NV), Rockefeller, John D (D-WV), Sanders, Bernard (I-VT), Schatz, Brian (D-HI) 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).