Reauthorize an expanded Violence Against Women Act that builds on H.R.1620!

I am writing today to urge the Senate to introduce and pass a bipartisan VAWA reauthorization bill that builds on the House-passed H.R.1620 and meets the identified needs of survivors and communities. The Violence Against Women Act is one of the pillars of the federal response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Every time VAWA has been reauthorized, it has been strengthened based on our increased understanding of gender-based violence, and this reauthorization can be no different. The COVID-19 pandemic, when the rates of domestic violence and sexual assault have increased, is not the time to roll back important protections or even to maintain the status quo. H.R.1620, which passed the House with strong bipartisan support, maintains protections for all victims, makes vital investments in sexual assault prevention and services, ensures sexual predators who prey on Native women can be held accountable, invests in culturally specific organizations, protects victims of domestic violence from intimate partner homicide, provides alternatives to the legal system for survivors who want them, and increases victims’ access to safe housing and economic stability. As a constituent, I urge the Senator to prioritize the introduction and passage of a VAWA reauthorization that builds on the House-passed bill and meets the identified needs of survivors and communities. Thanks.