Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages S3018-S3019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, it has been a frightening 2 weeks for
tens of millions of Americans who support a woman's freedom to make her
own healthcare choices. Actually, if you believe the polls, there are
hundreds of millions of Americans in that category.
Republican legislators across the country have passed some of the
most extreme restrictions on a woman's right to choose. With
breathtaking speed, they are trying to take us backward, but they have
already provoked a fierce reaction among the American people.
Just yesterday, I stood with hundreds before the Supreme Court to
speak on behalf of Americans everywhere who believe that women don't
deserve to be treated this way by their government. Meanwhile, here in
the Senate, the Republican leader is once again stalling--it seems to
be his MO--on a bill to improve legal protections for women who are
victims of domestic abuse, assault, and stalking. This is VAWA, or the
Violence Against Women Act.
VAWA has been a landmark piece of legislation, and it has greatly
reduced the abuse of women. Well, there was an improved and expanded
VAWA that was passed by the House of Representatives on a bipartisan
basis. It got significant Republican votes. It brings much needed
updates to existing Federal law. It finally expands protections to
women who are victims of violence from domestic partners or former
partners, not just current or former spouses. It also says that if you
are known to stalk your partner or have a restraining order against
you, you shouldn't be allowed to purchase a gun. Thanks to the work of
some of my colleagues in both Chambers, it also brings renewed
attention to violence against Native American women who are so often
overlooked.
I thank Senators Smith, Klobuchar, and Cantwell for bringing
attention to this bill later today.
Unfortunately, Leader McConnell has indicated that he will not bring
the House-passed VAWA bill to the floor, despite these many commonsense
reforms. Why not? I hope it is not because the gun lobby reflexively
opposes any restrictions on gun purchases--even for convicted stalkers.
I hope that is not the impediment here, because as Senator Klobuchar
has pointed out, if you are abused by your husband, then, you are
protected by VAWA. If you are abused by a boyfriend, you are not. What
is the difference? What is the difference?
VAWA is yet another example of how Leader McConnell has turned this
Chamber into a legislative graveyard. Even the most commonsense bills,
with broad support from one end of America to the other, that are
passed by the House--here, a bill protecting women from violence--meet
the grim fate at the hands of the Senate's self-proclaimed Grim Reaper.
What a shame. The Violence Against Women Act is precisely the kind of
legislation the American people expect the Senate to consider. During a
difficult few weeks for women across
[[Page S3019]]
America, the Senate could have sent a strong, positive signal by moving
forward on the Violence Against Women Act. Instead, Leader McConnell
carved out another tombstone for his legislative graveyard--another
popular bipartisan bill buried with no action by the Senate and tied by
the leader in partisan gridlock.
____________________