By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) – With strong bipartisan
support, the Democratic-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a
White House-backed bill to expand and renew a landmark 1994 law
to combat domestic violence.
On a 78-22 vote – with 23 Republicans joining 53 Democrats
and two independents – the Senate sent the measure to
reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act to the Republican-led
House of Representative for consideration.
The measure would renew anti-domestic abuse programs and
provide additional provisions for certain populations, such as
Native Americans.
The House rejected a similar measure last year during the
heat of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections.
At the time, House Republicans complained about Democratic
efforts to extend domestic abuse protections in the Violence
Against Women Act to gays, illegal immigrants and Native
Americans. Republicans accused Democrats of trying to score
political points.
Backers said they are hopeful that the House will go along
with the measure this time, or seek common ground on it with the
Senate.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray said, “I was very encouraged
last night to hear that 17 House Republicans” have written their
leadership saying, “now is the time to seek bipartisan
compromise.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont
Democrat and chief author of the bill, defended the bid to
expand protections.
“A victim is a victim is a victim is a victim,” Leahy said,
regardless of their sexual preference, immigration status or if
they are a Native American or not.
The bill also includes an amendment to combat human
trafficking, which Leahy called “modern-day slavery.”
“We know that young women and girls, often just 11, 12 or 13
years old, are being bought and sold. We know that workers are
being held and forced into labor,” Leahy said.
Vice President Joe Biden, while a senator, was a chief
author of the Violence Against Women Act, which created an
office within the Department of Justice to combat domestic
abuse.
Since then, the law has been used to educate the public
about domestic violence as well as create and fund programs to
combat it.
(Reporting By Thomas Ferraro; Editing by Stacey Joyce)
