U.S House has Reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act

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The U.S House of Representatives has voted to reauthorize the “Violence Against Women Act”. It jammed efforts of the National Rifle Association to stop the bill over a provision that would keep guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers. The move comes nearly 2-months after the 1994 law that protects victims of domestic and sexual violence was allowed to expire. The latest version of the VAWA includes an expansion on transgender rights and the gun provision to decrease the threshold to keep romantic partners from buying guns. The new law would bar individuals from buying guns if they have been convicted on misdemeanor domestic abuse or stalking charge. The recently approved law only applies to felonies.

The House started to consider the updated reauthorization to those 2 Democrat-introduced provisions illustrated a rift in Washington. It prompted a major lobbying effort by the NRA to stop the bill from going forward. Democrats described the bill as intentionally politicizing the Violence Against Women Act as a smokescreen to push their gun control agenda. The NRA urged members of the U.S Congress not to vote on the reauthorization. They also notified politicians that the pro-gun group would be scoring how they vote in the issue for future endorsements and ratings in elections.

On Thursday, the House voted and 33 Republicans joined 230 Democrats to approve the legislation. Only one Republican member and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick had co-sponsored the bill before the vote. Fitzpatrick said, “I think we need to speak to everyone, including women, and talk about the issues they care about and take reasonable, pragmatic positions, and this is one of them”. Democratic representative Debbie Dingell said, “This is landmark legislation that responds to our nation’s crisis of domestic violence. We must fund programs that provide compassionate care and support for women and families. This will save lives”.