Foster, Newman, Underwood vote to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act

Three Democratic members of Congress representing the Will County area backed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the reauthorization with the help of Reps. Bill Foster, Marie Newman and Lauren Underwood. The members said in statements the reauthorization was needed especially now as women continue to experience domestic violence and many had to shelter in place in unsafe situations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The VAWA of 2021 authorizes funding for survivor services grants, prevention, training, and education among other programs. It also aims to improve the criminal justice and health care system’s response to gender-based violence, according to a news release.

Underwood, D-Naperville, said in a statement the VAWA is “a landmark law that provides critical resources and protections to survivors, particularly those in marginalized communities.”

Newman, D-La Grange, touted two amendments of hers which were passed in the bill, including one which would establish the first-ever grant program dedicated to supporting LGBT women and another to provide targeted resources for women survivors in small business, according to a news release.

“Domestic, sexual, and emotional violence is a tragic fact of life for far too many women in our country, especially including those from our LGBTQ+ community who, in nearly every category, face higher rates of violence than straight women,” Newman said in a statement. ”Violence against transgender Americans, particularly Black and Brown transgender women, has become a national epidemic.”

Foster, D-Naperville, said in a statement when the VAWA was originally passed in 1994, it “ushered in transformative progress by calling for the protection of all Americans from violence and abuse.”

The congressman argued that while the law helped make progress in reducing domestic violence for nearly 25 years, one in three women still experience domestic violence so “more protections are needed,” he said.