Email from PA Sen. Pat Toomey
Dear Mr. Masters,
Thank you for contacting me about the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As someone who recently voted in support of legislation reauthorizing VAWA, I appreciate hearing from you.
Domestic violence is a serious problem in this country. For example, one in four women in our country is a victim of domestic violence, and 15 million U.S. children are exposed to it as well. VAWA has proven to be a useful resource for law enforcement and victims, helping reduce the rate of violent crimes against women and improving the availability of victim services. It is for this reason that I have repeatedly supported VAWA over the years.
As you may know, VAWA has been reauthorized multiple times since it was enacted in 1994, including once during my tenure in the House of Representatives and once more when I was not serving in Congress. On October 6, 2000, I voted in favor of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (P.L. 106-386) that reauthorized and strengthened VAWA, ensuring continued federal assistance and protection for victims of dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The second reauthorization occurred on January 5, 2006 (Public Law 109-162).
On January 22, 2013, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced a VAWA reauthorization bill (S. 47) that would broaden federal resources for tackling domestic violence. Although the bill has some provisions that could be improved, I supported S. 47 after various efforts to amend the bill had failed. As you may know, the Senate passed the bill, with my support, by a vote of 78 to 22 on February 12, 2013. The legislation now awaits action in the House of Representatives.
On a related note, you may be interested to know that I introduced the Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention Act (Public Law 112-154) in the 112th Congress. This measure, which was signed into law on August 6, 2012, helps combat sexual assault at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities by providing a new standard of care and protection for patients at VA facilities in Pennsylvania and across the country.Thank you again for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Pat Toomey U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania
