Rep.Ron Kind
contributed…..Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) Thursday voted in support of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. This bill includes important new protections for all victims of domestic violence and makes college campuses safer by strengthening programs to prevent violent sexual crimes on campus. It ensures that all victims of domestic and sexual violence will have access to the protection they need. “I am proud to support reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA),” said Rep. Kind. “As a former prosecutor who has used the tools provided by VAWA, I know how important it is to protect all victims of domestic violence and ensure the resources are available to provide security for everyone in our communities. Protecting domestic violence victims shouldn’t be a partisan issue. I’m glad the House came finally together to support the strong bipartisan Senate bill that passed with 78 votes.”
Since 1994, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has helped protect victims of domestic and sexual violence. It has twice been reauthorized with overwhelming bipartisan support, each time with important improvements to strengthen VAWA. Since the passage of the Act, annual incidents of domestic violence have dropped by more than 50 percent. “CAP Services has been providing services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault since 1978. We were troubled by the omissions for services and protections for certain victims of violence in the original House version of the bill. We well understand the impact of violence is felt as just as deeply for these groups as any other. That is why we support the passage of the Senate version of VAWA. This legislation provides law enforcement, advocate organizations, university campuses and the criminal justice system the adequate resources they need to hold perpetrators accountable and help victims move to recovery.”