Rep. Sharice Davids Votes to Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act

Representative Sharice Davids voted yesterday to pass H.R. 1620, a bipartisan, long-term Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. The critical reauthorization will safeguard and further strengthen the life-saving protections in the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 for women in Kansas and across the country.

"The Violence Against Women Act has stood as a pillar of our mission to end domestic violence and sexual assault in this country for decades," said Davids. "But as the coronavirus crisis has made clear, too many people continue to deal with and live in fear of violence and abuse. I was proud to vote for this life-saving VAWA reauthorization to help ensure that all survivors can receive the support, protection, and justice they deserve."

Davids also secured strong measures in the bill to addresses the crisis of violence against Native women and girls. In addition to protections for Native women, the bill strengthens and improves the Violence Against Women Act by:

• Making vital new investments in violence prevention;
• Improving services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking;
• Making improvements in the criminal justice response to gender-based violence and improving the health care system's response to domestic violence;
• Strengthening essential protections for the most vulnerable, including immigrant, LGBTQ and Native American women and supporting communities of color;
• Helping stop abusers and stalkers from obtaining firearms; and
• Expanding protections for victims' and survivors' financial security, including housing protections and anti-discrimination protections in the workplace.

"There should be nothing political or partisan about taking action to end domestic violence and sexual assault. The Senate should take up this bill right away to help ensure the safety of all people in this country," said Davids.