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Effort to expand law on abuse

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats, bolstered by Republican support, on Monday launched a new attempt to broaden a law protecting women from domestic abuse by expanding its provisions to cover gays, lesbians, and American Indians.

FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2011 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., right, listens to testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington. The patent system hasn’t changed much since 1952 when Sony was coming out with its first pocket-sized transistor radio and bar codes and Mr. Potato Head were among the inventions patented. Now, after years of trying, Congress may be about to do something about that. The Senate is about to take up the “Patent Reform Act,” which would significantly overhaul a 1952 law and, supporters say, bring the patent system in line with 21st century technology of biogenetics and artificial intelligence. Committee member, Senate Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin of Ill. is at left. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2011 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., right, listens to testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington. The patent system hasn’t changed much since 1952 when Sony was coming out with its first pocket-sized transistor radio and bar codes and Mr. Potato Head were among the inventions patented. Now, after years of trying, Congress may be about to do something about that. The Senate is about to take up the “Patent Reform Act,” which would significantly overhaul a 1952 law and, supporters say, bring the patent system in line with 21st century technology of biogenetics and artificial intelligence. Committee member, Senate Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin of Ill. is at left. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)Read more
    by By Jim Abrams, Associated Press, Inquirer
    Published 

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats, bolstered by Republican support, on Monday launched a new attempt to broaden a law protecting women from domestic abuse by expanding its provisions to cover gays, lesbians, and American Indians.

The legislation to renew the Violence Against Women Act appeared on a smooth path toward passage in the Senate, possibly by the end of this week. Monday's vote to make the bill the next order of business was 85-8.

Senate passage would send the bill to the House. Advocates hope that Republicans, smarting from election losses among women voters in November, won't repeat their resistance last year to the Senate approach.

"Allowing partisan delays to put women's lives at risk is simply shameful," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said before the vote. He said he hoped convincing support for the legislation in the Senate would "send a strong message to House Republican leaders that further partisan delay is unacceptable."

House Republicans, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, say reauthorizing the 1994 act, which expired in 2011, is a priority. But resolving partisan differences remains an obstacle: Last year both the House and Senate passed bills, but the House would not go along with Senate provisions that single out gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders for protection and give tribal authorities more power to prosecute non-Indians who attack Indian partners on tribal lands.

Kim Gandy, president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, said that after last year's election both parties are eager to demonstrate that they are behind a pro-woman agenda. She said her group, which supports the Senate bill, had received "very positive responses" from the offices of both Cantor and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the top-ranked Republican woman.

The Senate bill, while making minor concessions to meet GOP concerns, is essentially the same as the measure that passed that chamber in April on a 68-31 vote, with 15 Republicans voting yes. It focuses on ensuring that college students, immigrants, American Indians and gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people have access to anti-abuse programs.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D., Vt.) said that since the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, was enacted in 1994 the annual incidence of domestic violence has fallen by more than 50 percent. "We have something here that's been a success. These are thousands of lives made immeasurably better," said Leahy, sponsor of the legislation with Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho.