Last week, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, which assists victims of domestic and sexual violence.
The legislation creates and expands federal programs to assist local communities with law enforcement and aiding victims of domestic and sexual abuse. The bill also offers protections for gay, bisexual or transgender victims of domestic abuse, as well as allows American Indian women assaulted on reservations by non-Indians to take their case to tribal courts, which otherwise would be outside jurisdiction.
“Over more than two decades, this law has saved countless lives and transformed the way we treat victims of abuse,” Mr. Obama said in a statement. “Today’s vote will go even further by continuing to reduce domestic violence, improving how we treat victims of rape, and extending protections to Native American women and members of the L.G.B.T. community.”
“Renewing this bill is an important step towards making sure no one in America is forced to live in fear, and I look forward to signing it into law as soon as it hits my desk,” Mr. Obama said.
photo: Hayley Welgus