[Vision2020] The G.O.P. and Violence Against Women

[Art Deco]

  [image: The New York Times] <http://www.nytimes.com/>

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November 24, 2012
The G.O.P. and Violence Against Women

If Republicans are serious about repairing their party’s standing among
women, gay and Hispanic voters, they need to adjust some policies and stop
sending hostile messages. A good place to start would be for Republicans in
the House to stop blocking reauthorization of the Violence Against
Women Act<http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/vawa_factsheet.pdf>over
provisions deemed too protective of gay and immigrant victims of
domestic violence and sexual assault.

The 1994 law remains crucial to the nation’s efforts to combat domestic
violence, sexual assault and stalking. Previous reauthorizations sailed
through Congress.

A thoughtful renewal measure introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont
Democrat and Judiciary Committee chairman, and Senator Michael Crapo, an
Idaho Republican, cleared the Senate in April with strong bipartisan
support. But it has hit a wall in the Republican-led House. Instead, House
Republicans pushed through a regressive version of the measure that omits
new protections for gay, bisexual or transgender victims of abuse.

The House bill also left out a needed increase in the number of visas,
known as U visas <http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/visa-u.html>,
available for undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence
and sexual assaults. And it would reduce the incentive for frightened
victims to come forward by ending the current ability of U visa holders to
apply for permanent residency after three years.

Speaker John Boehner and his Republican colleagues blame Democrats for the
impasse, suggesting the Democrats inserted changes to invite opposition and
score political points. But the provisions at issue respond to real
humanitarian and law enforcement needs identified by experts working in the
field.

By refusing to accept the principle of protecting *all *victims of domestic
violence, House Republican leaders are conveying a belief that rapes of gay
people and immigrant women are not “legitimate” rapes, as Representative
Todd Akin, the failed Republican candidate for the Senate from Missouri,
put it so appallingly. Is that really what Republicans want to stand for?

The act’s reauthorization is must-do business for the lame-duck session.
Failure to agree on a bill would mean having to start the legislative
process all over again next year. Mr. Boehner should relent and allow the
House to vote on the Senate bill. There is a chance it would not muster
sufficient Republican votes to pass. But at least it would give Republican
representatives who value moderation a chance to dissociate themselves from
the narrow-minded prejudices and politics hurting their party.




-- 
Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
art.deco.studios at gmail.com
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