April 8, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 60 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E417-E418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. DAVID B. McKINLEY

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 3, 2019

  The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union 
had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1585) to reauthorize the 
Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and for other purposes:

  Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Chair, the Violence Against Women Act is an 
important law that authorizes funding to protect women from violent 
crimes and supports victims. Let me be clear: the Violence Against 
Women Act needs to be reauthorized. In 2013, I was proud to vote to 
reauthorize this legislation. Last fall, I joined a letter urging 
Speaker Ryan to pass a clean extension of the Violence Against Women 
Act before it expired. Finally, I will vote to support a clean one-year 
extension of the Violence Against Women Act.
  Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues let politics stand in the way 
of funding to help victims of violent crimes. They have included 
provisions in H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act 
of 2019, to deny citizens of their constitutional Second Amendment 
rights without due process. Our requests for a clean reauthorization, 
without such politicized provisions, have gone unanswered.
  Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault deserve better. This 
is why I opposed

[[Page E418]]

H.R. 1585. Congress needs to work towards a reauthorization of the 
Violence Against Women Act that removes these poison pills and puts 
victims before politics.

                          ____________________