Earlier today the U.S. House of Representatives passed, by a margin of 263 yeas to 158 nays, H.R. 1585, a bill to update and strengthen the NAACP-supported and very successful Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA). VAWA has been reauthorized and strengthened by strong bipartisan majorities in 2000, 2005, and 2013. The law is seen today as one of the most effective pieces of legislation enacted to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
We must now let the Senate know that half-measures such as a straight reauthorization of VAWA are not acceptable, nor are rollbacks of existing protections for survivors.
For more information on the legislation, as well as to see how each Member of the House voted and what you can do to help move this important bill through the Senate, please review the attached Action Update/Action Alert and take Fast Action.