LOUISVILLE – Twenty years ago today, President Bill Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) into law – a piece of bipartisan, commonsense legislation providing much-needed resources for the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes. A staggering one in six women will suffer domestic abuse in her lifetime, but the Violence Against Women Act empowered victims to speak up and changed the way the nation deals with domestic abuse. Despite the undeniably positive impact of VAWA, Mitch McConnell has repeatedly voted against it. What’s worse, he intentionally tried to mislead Kentuckians on his abysmal record of opposition to VAWA, releasing an ad touting his support for the bill that garnered a “mostly false” rating from Politifact. In contrast, Alison Lundergan Grimes will continue fighting for women as Kentucky’s first female United States Senator, as she has throughout her life. Alison entered public service to give a voice to the voiceless – experience she gained as an attorney for victims of domestic violence. As Secretary of State, Alison championed the first-ever address confidentiality program for victims of domestic violence to ensure their safety and security are not compromised when they exercise their right to vote. In the Senate, Alison will continue to be a voice for women across the Commonwealth – celebrating triumphs like the Violence Against Women Act, but recognizing the hard work that remains in combating this serious issue. BACKGROUND: McConnell Repeatedly Voted Against Renewing The Violence Against Women Act. McConnell voted against final passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 and 2012. The bills passed the Senate with bipartisan support 78-22 and 68-31. [Vote 19,2/12/13; Vote 87, 4/26/12] All Republican Female Senators Voted For Violence Against Women Act McConnell Opposed. In February 2013, Politico reported, “The Senate on Tuesday easily voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act – a major anti-domestic violence law whose renewal last year got tripped up by election-year politics. The vote was 78-22. All ‘no’ votes came from Republicans, while all female senators — Republican and Democrat — backed the legislation. Swift passage was expected; the bill sailed through a procedural Senate vote, 85-8, last week, and it has 61 co-sponsors.” [Politico, 2/12/13] McConnell’s Dishonesty About His Support for the Violence Against Women Act “Adds Insult To Injury.” In July 2013, MSNBC reported that, “In contrast, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is facing a similar dilemma, but has fewer qualms about dishonesty. This one’s just ugly. While last week he deflected a question about his previous votes against the Violence Against Women Act, today, McConnell explained that he’s a longtime supporter, but preferred an alternative to the one advanced by Democrats. ‘Actually I voted for a much stronger version of the Violence Against Women Act than the one that ended up passing the Senate,’ McConnell said. Opposing the Violence Against Women Act is bad. Lying about it adds insult to injury. First, McConnell isn’t a ‘longtime supporter’ of VAWA. He voted against it 1994 when the legislation was first proposed, and then voted against its reauthorization this year. He voted against it in 2012, too. I believe the technical term for someone who votes against an idea over and over again is ‘opponent.’ Second, there was no ‘stronger version.’ Democrats and Republicans reached a bipartisan agreement on VAWA, it came to the floor, and it passed with 78 votes – every member of the Democratic caucus plus 23 Republicans. McConnell was part of a small minority who opposed it anyway. After the vote, he issued no press statement to explain his vote. I have a hunch we’ll be hearing more about this as McConnell’s re-election bid continues.” [MSNBC, 7/15/13] McConnell’s Claims To Support Stronger VAWA Provisions Have Been Called False. In August 2014, Politifact wrote, “McConnell’s ad claimed that he ‘voted for even stronger protections than Obama’s agenda will allow.’ Perhaps McConnell could argue that the mandatory minimum sentences Republicans required in their alternative made for a ‘stronger’ bill, but advocates of domestic abuse awareness opposed this measure as unnecessary. And the Republican measure was absent several protections for certain groups that were included in the bill Obama signed. McConnell is within his right to oppose those provisions, but it makes it hard for him to prove that he supported ‘stronger’ legislation.” [Politifact, 8/13/14] #KYSen #DitchMitch #TeamSwitch #ALG2014
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 17:06:20 +0000
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