logo
    • Magazine
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Justice
  • Climate Justice
  • Health Justice
  • Leadership
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Subscribe
  • Webinars
    • Free Webinars
    • Premium On-Demand Webinars
  • Membership
  • Submissions

Law Underpinning Domestic Violence Programs May Face House Fight

Paula Smith Arrigoni
April 30, 2012
Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print

April 25, 2012; Source: Christian Science Monitor

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was recently reauthorized by the Senate, but may have a more difficult path to passage in the House. Since the comprehensive domestic violence law’s initial passage in 1994 (coinciding with the notorious O.J. Simpson case), the law has been reauthorized two times with bipartisan support. The law is the bedrock of funding for most nonprofit domestic violence organizations in the country, and has gradually become more representative of the diverse populations that are impacted by domestic and intimate partner abuse, including elderly people, immigrants, and youth. Without reauthorization, the law will expire in September.

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

In the House, Republican women said they would introduce a different version of the act, which the New York Times reports is expected to be “stripped of three provisions that have incensed some conservatives.” Those provisions would assist gays and lesbians, battered women in the country illegally, and Native American women (by placing non-Indian suspects of abuse before tribal courts when crimes were alleged to have been committed on reservations).

Linda Feldmann of the Christian Science Monitor comments that the political pendulum is likely to swing in favor of VAWA reauthorization. After months of national roiling over contraception, abortion rights, Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen, squashing VAWA would further stoke the claim that Republicans have been engaged in a “war on women.” Both the left and the right have traditionally embraced this law, which has also included provisions funding collaborative engagement with law enforcement and social service providers.
For the sake of those nonprofit social service providers and, more importantly, the women that they serve, one must hope that the House will preserve the integrity of VAWA. As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated, “There’s no reason to have a fight over something that no one wants to fight over.” –Paula Smith Arrigoni

Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print

Become a member

Support independent journalism and knowledge creation for civil society. Become a member of Nonprofit Quarterly.

Members receive unlimited access to our archived and upcoming digital content. NPQ is the leading journal in the nonprofit sector written by social change experts. Gain access to our exclusive library of online courses led by thought leaders and educators providing contextualized information to help nonprofit practitioners make sense of changing conditions and improve infra-structure in their organizations.

Join Today
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

You might also like
Edgar Cahn’s Second Act: Time Banking and the Return of Mutual Aid
Steve Dubb
We Owe You Nothing: The Movement to Cancel Student Debt Gains Ground
Rithika Ramamurthy
Charitable Tax Reform: Why Half Measures Won’t Curb Plutocracy
Alan Davis
Green New Deal or Stale Old Tax-Break Scam? Getting Electric Vehicle Incentives Right
Greg LeRoy
Goodbye “Race Neutrality”—The Case for Race-Conscious Economic Policy
Dedrick Asante-Muhammad
Graduate Student Workers Are in the Frontline of the Growing Labor Movement
Rithika Ramamurthy

NPQ_Summer_2022

Upcoming Webinars

July 14th, 2 pm ET

Combating Disinformation and Misinformation in 21st-Century Social Movements

Register Now
Group Created with Sketch.
July 28th, 2 pm ET

Changing the Subject

Boards As Social Movement Spaces

Register Now
You might also like
Edgar Cahn’s Second Act: Time Banking and the Return of...
Steve Dubb
We Owe You Nothing: The Movement to Cancel Student Debt...
Rithika Ramamurthy
Charitable Tax Reform: Why Half Measures Won’t Curb...
Alan Davis

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Independent & in your mailbox.

Subscribe today and get a full year of NPQ for just $59.

subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Careers

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.