This week the House of Representatives considered H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Act. This law was originally enacted in 1994 with the goal of preventing domestic violence, responding to the needs of victims and survivors of such heinous crimes, and increasing collaboration within the criminal justice system, our network of social services and healthcare providers.
As husband to an amazing woman and father of three incredible daughters, I understand and support the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and was disappointed that congressional Democrats allowed authorization of this longstanding law to expire in 2019.
Yet, as too often has been the case in this new Congress, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have seen fit to bypass the committee and amendment process, shutout Republicans from all negotiations, load up legislation with partisan poison pills, and jam bills through the House on a partisan basis that would otherwise garner bipartisan support.
Sadly, that has happened once again with the Violence Against Women Act. After reading the legislation, it is clear why. House Democrats have politicized VAWA, injecting partisan policies into the bill and expanding it in a way that I cannot support.
House Democrats used their bill to appease a radical social agenda by failing to prevent biological males from being housed in women’s shelters. More specifically, H.R. 1620 adds “gender identity” to additional grant programs specifically designed to protect and assist vulnerable women. I find these provisions to be an affront to those women who desperately rely on VAWA for help and protection from their abusers.
H.R. 1620 also expands the definition of domestic violence to include economic and emotional duress, which only serves to reallocate resources away from stopping violent crimes against women. Throughout this pandemic, when we know that domestic and intimate-partner violence sadly has increased focus its efforts on mitigating violent crimes perpetrated against women.
Furthermore, the legislation rejects religious hiring exemptions for VAWA grant recipients, fails to provide protections for organizations that operate faith-based shelters and legal aid centers and promotes unproven alternative and restorative justice approaches that may ultimately force victims to confront their abuser face to face. The bill also increases the number of misdemeanor crimes that would deny women their Second Amendment rights and ability to protect themselves.
I support a clean reauthorization of VAWA and the important programs designed to protect women. As such, I have joined dozens of my colleagues in the House in cosponsoring a clean extension of the Violence Against Women Act for Fiscal Year 2022.
Enacting this legislation will temporarily reauthorize VAWA and allow for Congress to work together on a long-term solution to protect women from domestic violence. The bill under consideration this week fell far too short in addressing the needs of victims and survivors, preventing abuse, and providing law enforcement with the resources they need to address domestic violence.
Our daughters, sisters, wives, mothers and friends deserve better.
Congressmen Greg Pence serves Indiana’s Sixth District. Send comments to [email protected].
