Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13^th) today pressed House leaders to act quickly on a bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the nation’s primary domestic violence statute.  In a letter authored by Biggert and signed by four of her GOP colleagues, including Robert Dold (R-IL-10), the lawmakers urged House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor to quickly resolve procedural hurdles and work diligently with the Senate to craft a bicameral compromise on VAWA.  Both the House and Senate have passed versions of the legislation, but reports indicate that little progress has been made in resolving differences between the chambers.  As part of a compromise, Biggert and her colleagues also urged House leaders to accept Senate-endorsed provisions that would protect all victims of domestic violence, including college students, LGBT individuals, native Americans, and immigrants.

           “We cannot allow VAWA to become another victim of election-year gridlock,” said Biggert.  “A strong, bicameral compromise can and should protect all victims of violence.  And these recommendations reflect years of input from our volunteers and counselors on the front lines, fighting domestic violence in communities across the country.”

           The full text of the letter and a list of signatories follows:

Dear Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor:

As strong supporters of a bipartisan approach to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization, we thank you for your efforts to secure timely House consideration of this issue.  We strongly urge you to work diligently with the Senate to solve the blue slip problem as effectively as you did with the Transportation Bill and quickly craft a bicameral compromise on VAWA reauthorization that includes the following provisions: 

1. Concurrent jurisdiction for tribal crimes-- Because of the significant backlog of crimes occurring on tribal lands, federal courts have limited resources to pursue all but the most serious violations.  As a result, most sexual assaults and domestic incidents that occur on native lands go unpunished.  Allowing our tribal court systems to prosecute these crimes would help to ensure that justice is served and prevent the spread of domestic violence in native communities.
    
2. Protections for LGBT populations– Under current law, all victims of domestic violence are entitled to VAWA services.  However, in some communities, services remain unavailable to LGBT individuals simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.  LGBT-inclusive language would simply clarify the law to ensure that all domestic violence victims have access to the support offered by VAWA.
    
3. Eliminate disincentives for reporting crimeamong immigrants – The House proposal provides temporary shelter for victims who report domestic crimes, but it maintains the long-term threat of deportation for immigrant victims who come forward.  No one should be discouraged from bringing an abuser to the attention of law enforcement. 
   
   While the Department of Justice confirms that the U-Visa program is not subject to significant fraud, we stand ready to work with concerned Members on improving accountability within the system to ensure that Congress can monitor its effectiveness.
    
4. Improve safety on college campuses– The Senate requires more transparency of information, more prevention programs, and improved assistance for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on college campuses.  The House proposal supports a Campus Safety Resource Center that would be able to support colleges and universities with best practices and guidance to address violence on campus better.  Both of these provisions are critical improvements to protect students on campus.
   
   We urge you to make VAWA reauthorization a significant priority during the rest of the 112^th Congress and ensure that the aforementioned provisions are included in the final reauthorization bill.

 Sincerely,

Reps. Judy Biggert, Robert Dold, David Rivera, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Todd Platts

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