During last night’s State of the Union, President Obama spoke about the importance of the Violence Against Women Act and the need for it to be reauthorized. He said:
“Today the Senate passed a strong bipartisan bill to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act. This important step shows what we can do when we come together across party lines to take up a just cause. The bill passed by the Senate will help reduce homicides that occur from domestic violence, improve the criminal justice response to rape and sexual assault, address the high rates of dating violence experienced by young women, and provide justice to the most vulnerable among us. I want to thank Senator Leahy and his colleagues from both sides of the aisle for the leadership they have shown on behalf of victims of abuse. It’s now time for the House to follow suit and send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.”
Here at HRI, we see many immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence. We see their pain, their struggles and their fear. We urge the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the Senate and reauthorize VAWA!
