Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, in the United States, 1 in 3 women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner; 1 in 7 women have been injured by an intimate partner; 1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner; and 1 in 7 women have been stalked.

Let those numbers sink in for a moment. These are more than just numbers. These are our mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, and colleagues in this Chamber.

Today's motion to recommit would extend the Violence Against Women Act through 2020 in order to continue critical services that protect millions of women, girls, and children across our country.

I have a proven track record of supporting VAWA, and today I am continuing the fight by standing up for the victims and survivors to make sure their voices are heard.

Last year, I introduced legislation that would extend the Violence Against Women Act; and then just last month, I introduced another bill that would reauthorize this program.

We all know, in this Chamber, that the bill Speaker Pelosi has put on the floor today will not pass the Senate and be signed into law. However, my bill, this motion to recommit, could pass the House, the Senate, and be signed into law this week.

This extension gives Republicans and Democrats time to work together to pass a truly bipartisan, long-term reauthorization of VAWA, just as Congress has done many times before.

Sadly, there has been very little effort from my Democratic colleagues to meaningfully engage in a process to reauthorize VAWA that could pass with broad bipartisan support.

The Democratic bill, H.R. 1585, was referred to seven House committees, but was only reported out of the Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote. It politicizes VAWA, and could put women, girls, and children at potential risk in the future.

Ending violence against women and protecting women and children should not be a partisan issue. But, unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have made it a partisan issue. They have refused to work with Republicans in a meaningful way to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act every chance they got, including most recently in February during spending negotiations.

House Democrats are the reason this law has lapsed, putting lives in jeopardy, and leaving victims, survivors, and families at risk. Every single minute that this critical, lifesaving program goes unauthorized is another minute that women who need help can't get it.

I ask my colleagues today; can we stop playing political games at the expense of vulnerable women?

We must. Voting ``yes'' on this motion to recommit is the only opportunity to extend current law. Voting ``no'' on this motion to recommit means that you are voting to end the Violence Against Women Act and, instead, knowingly voting for a partisan bill that will never see the light of day in the Senate. This will collect dust in the Senate.

Once again, the Democratic bill on the floor today will collect dust in the Senate. Scoring political points, we should never prioritize that over the millions of women and children in this country.

Let's pass this clean extension today to extend the Violence Against Women Act. Fight for millions of women in this country. Fight for survivors. Fight for victims.

I am asking you to vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source