[WardFive] The House voted Thursday to accept the bipartisan Senate bill, 286-138.

By KATE NOCERA <http://www.politico.com/reporters/KateNocera.html> |
2/28/13 11:59 AM EST

The Violence Against Women Act is finally headed to President Barack Obama's
desk for his signature.

The House voted Thursday to accept the bipartisan Senate bill, 286-138.
Eighty-seven Republicans joined 199 Democrats to support the bill. No
Democrats opposed it.

After months of delay, GOP leaders allowed the bill to come to the floor
only after a Republican substitute version of the legislation - set up as an
amendment to the Senate's bipartisan bill - failed, 166-257. The House
amendment was expected to fail, but allowed members to vote for a version of
VAWA while not supporting the Senate bill.

Still, House leaders were under pressure from members of their own party to
pass the Senate version without any changes. Nineteen House Republicans sent
a letter to Majority Leader Eric Cantor and House Speaker John Boehner
urging them to pass a bipartisan version of VAWA.

This is the third time Boehner has allowed a bill to pass with a majority of
Democratic votes.

Democrats for the most part were united in their opposition to the House
version, arguing it stripped out important protections for LGBT and Native
American women. Sixty Republicans joined them in opposition. Only two
Democrats, Dan Lipinski of Illinois and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina,
supported the House version.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the lead sponsor of the House
amendment, ultimately voted to support the Senate's bill. Republican Whip
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) also voted for the
Senate version, as well as the House amendment. Majority Leader Eric Cantor
(R.-Va.) supported the House bill, but voted against the Senate bill.

President Barack Obama said he will sign it into law "as soon as it hits my
desk."

"Over more than two decades, this law has saved countless lives and
transformed the way we treat victims of abuse," he said in a statement.

The Senate and the House passed versions of VAWA in the last Congress, but
Democrats said the Republican version peeled back protections and accused
them of dragging their feet on the bipartisan Senate bill.


Read more:
<http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/violence-against-women-act-passes-882
38.html#ixzz2MDlZvxQ1>
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/violence-against-women-act-passes-8823
8.html#ixzz2MDlZvxQ1





ANC Commissioner 5A09

Shirley Rivens Smith, President

US Africa Sister Cities Foundation, Inc.

DC-Dakar

2000 Upshur St., NE

Washington, DC 20018

www.usasc.org

202-635-3138



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