Violence Against Women Act Funding Request Rejected By GOP

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)

House Republicans voted down an amendment to an appropriations bill on Thursday that would have increased funding for Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs by $20 million.

“This is a question of values and priorities. What kind of message do we want to send to women across the country?" Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who pushed for the funding increase, said on the House floor before the vote. "Do we value women’s safety? Are we willing to make sure we have the resources needed?"

The House Appropriations Bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and Science for Fiscal Year 2013 carves out $420 million for grants under the Violence Against Women Act, which is $15 million less than those programs received in funding in FY 2010.

After the Senate passed its version of the Violence Against Women Act, House Republicans trimmed the bill down by rolling back existing protections for undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence and stripping provisions that would extend protections for Native American and LGBT victims.

Nadler said Congress should pay for the additional $20 million in VAWA funding by cutting unnecessary administrative expenses. He specifically cited the lavish General Services Administration conference in Las Vegas that became a national scandal.

“The $20 million increase for VAWA is offset by cuts to administrative accounts," he said. "We have heard from our colleagues of the need to cut government spending, to cut administrative expenses, to prevent the types of excesses we have seen recently in the GSA and other agencies with Las Vegas conference extravaganzas. Well, now is your chance to put your money where your mouth is and shift funding from these types of administrative expenses to preventing violence against women."

Republicans balked at Nadler's request, accusing him of politicizing the issue and pointing out that the funding level for VAWA is already higher than what President Barack Obama requested from the House.

"We're $7.5 million above the current level for this issue," said Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.). "Also, we're $7.5 million above President Obama's request for violence against women. We're above it."

Michael McAuliff contributed reporting.

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Comments

[PClements]

07:16 AM on 07/19/2012

Apparently, the Democrats/Progressives who pander to women are never satisfied.
They're up in arms at a suggested cut of $15 Million in VAWA funding. How much is enough for these political pimps? VAWA has been pumping BILLIONS, per year, into feminist coffers for a decade or more. The suggested cut is a drop in the bucket.
How about using that $15 million to establish programs for abused and battered MEN? For decades, legitimate research has shown that victimization of males is equal to, or slightly greater than, that of females. That includes sexual, as well as physical abuse by females.
Yet our revolutionary politicians think that the billions already spent on VAWA aren't enough.
That may be true if the real purpose of all that money is to bankrupt the nation.

[Ode1]

03:58 PM on 12/05/2012

Maybe if you read the reauthorization of the bill they are trying to pass it includes males as well.

[James Moorer]

08:31 PM on 05/29/2012

Dear Women of America:

I plead to you not as a fellow American, but as the son of a mother who died as a result of domestic violence. If this does not convince you of who is really waging war against women, I don't know what will. Let them bicker and fight over whether or not they should have a say over a woman's reproductive rights. But the right to not be harmed, not be abused, not be killed should not come down to what some pot-bellied lawmaker thinks is an extravagance while he gets a guaranteed retirement salary for the rest of his life. This is an atrocity not only to women, but the children and survivors of domestic violence victims across the country.

Make them pay for this ladies. On November 6th, make them pay.

[Victoria Merchant]

09:55 PM on 05/15/2012

Wow. What is sickening is that this kind of senseless hatred and aggressive need to subjugate others while breaking and perverting our hard earned laws and systems that we, as a society, evolved and developed to serve us and our citizens, each and everyone of them, equally. Period. Give each of us a say in where each tax dollar goes and who decides against us, the people, where our funding goes and show visually how these votes hurt the 99% and all of these mostly white male decisions are always against the people. Always.

[Boulos Hijazin]

01:48 PM on 05/12/2012

why is it, that only the Republicans are the defending the Constitutional rights of men to have equality as citizens and tax payers.
simply, VAWA is a discriminatory law that excludes men,how on earth is this piece of legislation is passed while violating the constitution is a puzzling question.

[ColinFromLasVegas]

01:08 PM on 05/11/2012

The way I was raised was quickly realizing the simple fact that you don't NEVER EVER make women mad.

Because they DO NOT forget.

You'll be sitting down eating a pizza in a restaurant and she will bring up something that you did that made her mad two years ago.

I believe to my very soul the Tea/Republican Party is going to get absolutely crushed on November 6, 2012 by the women vote.

Are they nuts? Women in this great nation equal just about 52 percent of the overall voters out there.

Not only will there be Tea/Republican politicians wandering around out of power, but they'll get constantly ribbed, heckled and browbeaten by women.

That picture of Governor Brewer waggling a finger and screaming at President Obama? That's what it's going to look like with Tea/Republicans for years and years. Women are NOT going to let them forget these all out assaults.

It may not be a war, but it sure is a travesty what they are doing. The thing that amazes me is they clearly show they are too stupid to realize they are standing on the railroad tracks and about to get run over.

[Billy Jack]

10:11 AM on 05/11/2012

So I guess we take it from this that Repugs are in favor of violence against women.

[Kisha Chapman]

10:10 AM on 05/11/2012

Sad...

[gjwarnock]

10:08 AM on 05/11/2012

I do not know why, but congresses approval rating is up to 17%,
They keep saying they are voting the "Will of the American People",
yet they vote Against the polling,, Are the "American People" 17%
of us?

[pdxrose]

10:01 AM on 05/11/2012

and that's because there ISN'T now war on women and banks that squander $2 billion don't need regulation.

Hope other women are registering and planning to campaign and vote

[sgtscottm2]

10:01 AM on 05/11/2012

20 million dollars accomplishes what exactly? This is just the Dems trying to send a false political message and failing while the Repubs continue to fight waste.

[Kisha Chapman]

10:08 AM on 05/11/2012

So women are a waste? Do you know any women?

[sgtscottm2]

10:15 AM on 05/11/2012

no stu pid.....this money is a waste. What does it pay for and is it really worth 20mil?

[gjwarnock]

10:10 AM on 05/11/2012

This is the biggest Crock I have heard all week,,,,

[sgtscottm2]

10:38 AM on 05/11/2012

ok obviously this genius didn't catch the political ploy. Poor little lamb.

[Kelly WaltonHilton]

10:00 AM on 05/11/2012

I just don't understand how politicians sleep at night making these types of decisions. The very next time a woman is killed due to domestic violence, I hope to GOD these pols are haunted by her ghost for all eternity. This is utterly ridiculous.

[gjwarnock]

10:20 AM on 05/11/2012

X 2 Kelly,
Money rules, I just do not understand why it trumps life,,,,

[NovemberScorp]

09:56 AM on 05/11/2012

But we the GOP keep telling you stupid people there is no War on Women. It's all a fabricated lie by the liberal media! Right.

[gjwarnock]

09:55 AM on 05/11/2012

?? Trillions for the destruction of civilians in foreign lands, for the "Protection"
of Americans,, but the welfare for Americans here,,, not so much,, Rich!

[John Stopple]

09:54 AM on 05/11/2012

They could at least try to not be cartoonish. You know, by, say, giving the Pentagon the money they want and not a penny more.

[bulldog23]

09:48 AM on 05/11/2012

It's all Eve's fault. If she hadn't eaten the forbidden fruit we wouldn't be in this mess. The contempt that Republican leaders have against women is staggering. I can't for the life of me understand why any woman would vote for them.