Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds House Passage of the Violence Against Women Act as a “Victory for the Entire Country”

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Washington, D.C. – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to today’s House vote to pass an inclusive and updated reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA):

 “Today’s vote is a significant achievement for women and a victory for the entire country. We applaud the steadfast advocates in Congress from both parties who have championed this long-overdue reauthorization, as well as those who recognized that the protections for women included in this bill deserve the strongest bipartisan support.

After last year’s Senate reauthorization, Republican House Leadership hid behind legislative maneuvering to stop an updated and inclusive VAWA in its tracks. Instead of passing a bill that included important advancements to protect women who are most at risk, they obfuscated the facts and politicized the needs of students, immigrant women, LGBT people, and women on tribal lands to justify their obstruction.

But bipartisan advocates for VAWA in and out of Congress refused to back down. Despite the opposition and needless delays, women and men across the country continued to fight for the inclusive legislation approved in the Senate and now agreed to in the House.

We applaud Congress’ actions and urge the President to swiftly sign the reauthorized, updated, and inclusive Violence Against Women Act.”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.