WASHINGTON / May 17, 2012 - The House of Representatives has passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act by a 222-205 margin. Responding to public discontent, H.R. 4970 contains a number of measures designed to curb widespread waste and fraud in the domestic violence field.

A recent U.S. News poll found a strong majority of persons are opposed to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in its current form: http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-the-violence-against-women-act-be-reauthorized. Many women have questioned the effectiveness and fairness of the existing VAWA law: http://womenagainstvawa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Flyer-VAWA-Pro-Woman.pdf

Reforms contained H.R. 4970 include strong accountability measures, gender-inclusive language, and provisions to stem fraudulent claims of abuse by immigrants. The current VAWA law has invited immigration fraud by not allowing the US citizen accused of abuse to submit evidence that could refute the accusation.

The White House played an active role in opposing the bill. The Obama Administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy on Tuesday stating it would veto any bill that was modeled on H.R. 4970.

During Wednesday's floor debate, sponsor Sandy Adams (R-FL) withstood numerous challenges. When informed by John Conyers (D-MI) that numerous organizations opposed her bill, she retorted, "Shame on them!"

Following passage of the bill, a number of established domestic violence organizations have reacted with anger and implied threats. The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women called the bill "dangerous." The National Organization for Women charged that Representatives who voted for the bill "will be judged in the public arena and at the polls in November."

According to SAVE spokesman Philip W. Cook, "H.R. 4970 certainly is not a perfect bill. Still, passage of the House measure is a victory for victims who have been refused service in the past. It removes most sex discriminatory language. It is also a victory for taxpayers who are tired of the ongoing reports of waste and fraud."

SAVE thanks the many organizations and individuals who have supported VAWA reform efforts. SAVE will continue to work for ways to reform and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act: http://www.saveservices.org/pvra.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner abuse: www.saveservices.org

'A male student was suspended from a southern Maryland school for wearing girls’ clothing, and the incident has sparked a big controversy in Calvert County.

Warren Evans, an openly bisexual student at Calvert High School, was suspended for violating the school’s dress code by wearing a skirt.

Evans says the school is discriminating against him and does not believe he violated any dress code.'

'Last week, on my facebook page, A Sister asked me if I am “for” or “against” child support. I posted a picture, of a Black woman holding a wheelbarrow full of money, and the words above the picture said “Child Support, Way Better Than A Dad”, then I proceeded to answer the question. What I am “for” is choosing wisely when deciding to reproduce and deciding who will reproduce you. What I am “for” is adults being mature if the relationship ends so that the child won’t suffer, become molded in the bitterness of its mother, and caught in an emotional tug of war. What I am “against” is women hustling their wombs SPECIFICALLY for the sole purpose of collecting a child support check. What I am “against” is child support being limited or perceived as just financial assistance. Child support means to support your child mentally, emotionally, spiritually, being there for events, listening to them, encouraging them, showing them love and teaching them lessons so they won’t have to learn lessons in the streets.

What I am “against” is Black Men not even given a chance to WILLINGLY give, contribute and add to the life of their child or children, before the Mother of his child (or children) runs down to the overseer to handcuff him with a child support order. I am “against” Brothers being violated in such a system that was designed to destroy the Black Family and children being treated as assets and property of the Mother, with no regard to the Father.
...

Again there are so many options for Single Mothers, but for a Single Man there are limited options. He will hear BE A MAN ABOUT IT! As if he is attempting to be anything else. Sometimes as women, I think that we have become desensitized to the pain and struggles that our Brothers go through. Now with MOST men, do you think they WANT to be shiftless? Do you think that not being able to provide for their family REALLY makes them feel good? Do you think that for most MEN being labeled as a dead beat dad is something they proudly wear like a badge of honor? I mean, let’s step out of our stilettos, and try to slide our feet into his shoes.'

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Email: tstoddard-at-saveservices.org

WASHINGTON / May 17, 2012 – The House of Representatives has passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act by a 222-205 margin. Responding to public discontent, H.R. 4970 contains a number of measures designed to curb widespread waste and fraud in the domestic violence field.

A recent U.S. News poll found a strong majority of persons are opposed to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in its current form: http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-the-violence-against-women-act-be-reauthorized. Many women have questioned the effectiveness and fairness of the existing VAWA law: http://womenagainstvawa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Flyer-VAWA-Pro-Woman.pdf

Reforms contained H.R. 4970 include strong accountability measures, gender-inclusive language, and provisions to stem fraudulent claims of abuse by immigrants. The current VAWA law has invited immigration fraud by not allowing the US citizen accused of abuse to submit evidence that could refute the accusation.

The White House played an active role in opposing the bill. The Obama Administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy on Tuesday stating it would veto any bill that was modeled on H.R. 4970.

During Wednesday’s floor debate, sponsor Sandy Adams (R-FL) withstood numerous challenges. When informed by John Conyers (D-MI) that numerous organizations opposed her bill, she retorted, “Shame on them!”

Following passage of the bill, a number of established domestic violence organizations have reacted with anger and implied threats. The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women called the bill “dangerous.” The National Organization for Women charged that Representatives who voted for the bill “will be judged in the public arena and at the polls in November.”

According to SAVE spokesman Philip W. Cook, “H.R. 4970 certainly is not a perfect bill. Still, passage of the House measure is a victory for victims who have been refused service in the past. It removes most sex discriminatory language. It is also a victory for taxpayers who are tired of the ongoing reports of waste and fraud.”

SAVE thanks the many organizations and individuals who have supported VAWA reform efforts. SAVE will continue to work for ways to reform and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act: http://www.saveservices.org/pvra.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner abuse: www.saveservices.org

'DEL REY OAKS, Monterey County (CBS 5) — Safeway’s suspension of a Monterey County employee after stopping a domestic assault has become a public relations headache for the grocery chain.

Police said Ryan Young, a meat clerk at the Del Rey Oaks location, intervened when he saw Quyen Van Tran beating his pregnant girlfriend in the store last month.

“If it was their wife who was pregnant or their daughter who was pregnant who was being attacked, would they want someone to step in and help them?” Young said.'

'WASHINGTON -- The House Republican version of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, which has been decried by women's rights groups as a dramatic rollback of protections for domestic violence victims, has picked up the backing of a group that may prove to be an unhelpful ally: the National Coalition For Men.

The coalition argues, in a Tuesday letter to members of Congress that was forwarded to HuffPost, that the Republican bill protects both men and women, while the original VAWA aimed to protect only women.

"Those opposing H.R. 4970 loudly assert that VAWA serves all people, which is absurd on its face given the name of the Act. Opposing versions, by omission and lack of specificity, generally exclude men, particularly heterosexual men, regardless of specious arguments to the contrary," states the letter from coalition President Harry Crouch.
...

"It's almost like people want to say we want to go out and abuse women. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's total idiocy to see an intelligent person elected to Congress stand up and look across the aisle and accuse someone of being in favor of opening the doors to abuse for more people," he said.'

'On a 222-205 vote, the House passed a GOP-sponsored bill to renew the Violence Against Women Act, an 18-year-old law written by then-Sen. Joe Biden that dedicates federal resources to assist victims of domestic violence.

Wednesday's vote puts the House at odds once again with the Democratic-controlled Senate, which approved its version of the bill last month on a bipartisan 68-31 vote. The Senate bill renews the act for five years, authorizes $659.3 million in annual spending and contains measures to help victims of sexual assault, improve emergency housing services for victims and consolidate some grant programs to make them more efficient.
...

Republican men and women both abhor violence against women," said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who supported the House version. "In fact, I would say we are more concerned about violence against women, because we want to see those women served better and we want to see the money spent better. ... We are strengthening the Violence Against Women Act, not weakening the act."
...
The Republican bill was endorsed by the National Coalition for Men, whose argument in support of the legislation appeared to undercut the GOP claim that the Violence Against Women Act's language is so broad that it already covers almost all groups.

In a letter to lawmakers, the men's rights group said the bill's opponents "loudly assert that VAWA serves all people, which is absurd given the name of the Act."

"Opposing versions, by omission and lack of specificity, generally exclude men, particularly heterosexual men, regardless of specious arguments to the contrary," the letter read.'

'Homing in on women's health issues, President Obama's campaign released a new Web video Wednesday afternoon targeting female voters, spotlighting the president's support for contraception coverage through health care policies.

The video, titled, "Letters to the President: The Dreams of Our Daughters," spotlights the life of one mother and her two daughters. The mother reads her voice-over as a letter to Obama about her concerns as a mother raising two daughters.'

'WASHINGTON -- The White House issued a press release on Tuesday threatening to veto the House GOP's version of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, which the House is scheduled to vote on Wednesday afternoon.

"The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 4970, a bill that would undermine the core principles of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)," the White House wrote. "H.R. 4970 rolls back existing law and removes long-standing protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault -- crimes that predominately affect women. If the President is presented with H.R. 4970, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill."
...
The White House also noted in its press release that the GOP version of VAWA "does not include important improvements to the Clery Act found in the Senate-passed bill that would address the high rates of dating violence and sexual assault" in schools and "weakens critical new provisions in the Senate-passed bill that would improve safety for victims living in subsidized housing."'

'A general who defected from the Congolese army last month has forced at least 149 boys and young men to join his mutinying forces, repeating the alleged acts for which he has long been wanted by the International Criminal Court, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch. At least 48 were under 18.

"They tied my hands with a rope. All of us were tied up. Then they marched us to the hill," a 17-year-old student told the human rights group, recounting an episode in which at least 32 high school students were rounded up. "They told us we would fight for Bosco."

Bosco Ntaganda has been wanted by the International Criminal Court for recruiting and using child soldiers while commanding a rebel group during Congo's civil war. Yet after the war ended, Ntaganda was brought into the army and ultimately promoted to general.'