Statement of NOW President Terry O’Neill
Washington, DC–(ENEWSFP)–April 26, 2012,
Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (S. 1925), which includes funding for services to previously underserved populations. The act has transformed the nation’s response to domestic and sexual violence, and has saved innumerable lives.
NOW applauds the senators who bravely rejected amendments that would undermine the act and would have blocked efforts to provide services to immigrant women, the LGBT community and women on reservations. Shamefully, in contrast to prior reauthorizations, there were 31 senators who voted “no”, effectively turning their backs on the women who need this life-saving legislation.
NOW calls on the House of Representatives to take up S. 1925 and reject attempts to water down the bill or exclude victims in immigrant, Native American and the LGBT communities. It is time to promote policies that serve women’s needs and stop playing politics with women’s lives.
Source: now.org
