Congresswoman Wilson’s Statement on anniversary of Violence Against Women Act
Submitted by Eric Parker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) issued the following statement on the anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, which was drafted by then-Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) and signed into law by President Clinton on September 13, 1994:
“Today, we mark the anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which then-Senator Biden drafted and President Clinton signed into law on September 13, 1994. VAWA was a huge step forward toward ending domestic violence, date rape, sexual assault and stalking. Because of this law, women have the critical services they need to overcome abusive situations and law enforcement and the courts can hold offenders accountable.
“Since the passage of VAWA, annual rates of domestic violence have dropped by more than 60 percent. While we can laud the progress we made, three women still die every day as a result of domestic violence – one in five have been raped and one in six have been victims of stalking.
“Because of the continued need to protect women and girls, I fully support the full reauthorization of VAWA and strengthening it to extend these protections and services to immigrants and the LGBT community. I call on the House Republicans to do the right thing – to move forward and not go backward in protecting our daughters and granddaughters – by bringing up the Senate-passed VAWA bill for a vote.”
