February 12, 2013
Harkin Applauds Senate Vote on Violence Against Women; Urges House to Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the Senate approved the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization by a vote of 78 to 22. A similar measure passed the Senate in the last Congress with strong bipartisan support, but was held up in the House. Harkin is a cosponsor of the legislation.
“This issue is seemingly nonpartisan – a critical effort to give law enforcement and victims’ services the tools they need to prevent domestic violence and protect women in Iowa and across the country. Yet despite the progress in moving this bill through the Senate, it has languished in the House over political objections. What my colleagues should recognize is that it is an outrage when any person is a victim of domestic violence. I urge the House, under Republican leadership, to take up and pass the Senate’s bipartisan bill because all individuals deserve protection of the law.”