The Senate passed its Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill today, with a 78-22 vote. Every female senator supported the legislation, which had 62 cosponsors.
The “no” votes came from 22 male senators. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was one who opposed the bill.
The bill authorizes $659 million over five years for VAWA programs. It also includes new protections for LGBT and Native American victims of domestic violence. Since VAWA was created in 1994, it has bolstered protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
Congress failed to reauthorize VAWA last year because of House Republican objections to a provision that would expand protections for undocumented immigrant victims of violence. The provision for undocumented immigrants was left out of this year’s bill.
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