Sinema Urges Bipartisan Action to Protect Arizona Women from Violence

Statement

With Congress running out of time to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema worked across the aisle today with Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08) to take action. Sinema and Fitzpatrick urged both parties to come together and immediately pass a long-term reauthorization of VAWA to ensure protections for women and families across Arizona.

"Women and children across Arizona are counting on Congress to put aside the partisan games and stand up for the Violence Against Women Act," said Congresswoman Sinema."In my first year in Congress, I helped lead a bipartisan effort to strengthen VAWA with crucial protections for tribal, immigrant, and LBGTQ women. We also helped provide law enforcement with more tools to protect survivors and innocent children from abusers. Today we continue to defend women and their families by working across the aisle to help extend these critical protections for years to come."

"Congress must continue to aggressively combat domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking by swiftly reauthorizing the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA),"said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick."While there is still considerable work to be done, VAWA has drastically improved our nation's response to safeguarding women and children from abuse and anguish. Congress has historically reauthorized VAWA with broad bipartisan agreement. Congresswoman Sinema and I are urging House leaders to take up a bipartisan long-term reauthorization of these critical programs."

VAWA has helped millions of women and their families by improving the criminal justice system response to domestic violence and ensuring survivors and their families have access to the services they need to safely rebuild their lives. The law expires September 30, 2018.

Sinema and Fitzpatrick called on House leaders to immediately pass bipartisan legislation to reauthorize VAWA.

In 2013, the last year VAWA was set to lapse, Sinema successfully led a group of 48 other House members to call on Speaker Boehner to strengthen and reauthorize the law.

Source