Some politicians are aware of the impact the violence against women act has on keeping families safe. But they are trying to reason to some of the worst exhibitors publicly abusive behavior. Tea party Republicans.
Emotional Abuse: Undermining an individual's sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem is abusive. This may include, but is not limited to constant criticism, diminishing one's abilities, name-calling, or damaging one's relationship with his or her children.
Economic Abuse: Is defined as making or attempting to make an individual financially dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding one's access to money, or forbidding one's attendance at school or employment.
Psychological Abuse: Elements of psychological abuse include - but are not limited to - causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner, children, or partner's family or friends; destruction of pets and property; and forcing isolation from family, friends, or school and/or work.
February 26, 2013
The Honorable John BoehnerSpeaker United States House of RepresentativesThe Capitol, H-232Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
We hope you will quickly bring S. 47, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, up for a vote in the House. For almost 18 years, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has been the centerpiece of the Federal Government’s commitment to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It is an extraordinarily effective law, and the annual incidence of domestic violence has fallen by more than 50 percent since VAWA was first passed.
There is still much more that needs to be done. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, one in four women has been the victim of severe physical domestic violence, and one in five women has been raped in her lifetime. We must provide victims, service providers, and law enforcement with the tools they need to combat these horrific trends. That is why the Senate VAWA bill was developed based on the input of victims and the professionals who work with them every day.
The Senate recently came together in a bipartisan way to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. A total of 78 Senators from both parties, including all women Senators and a majority of Republican Senators from states throughout the country, voted for this common sense measure. We are proud of the bipartisan support for VAWA in the Senate, and we hope you agree that this issue and this bill are above politics. If the House acts quickly to pass S. 47, serious crimes will be prevented, and victims of rape and domestic violence will receive the help they need. Recent statements and letters from Republican and Democratic House members suggests that a majority would support S. 47 if given the opportunity.
This important legislation renews successful programs that help law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers keep victims safe and hold perpetrators accountable. It consolidates programs in order to reduce administrative costs and avoid duplication. The reauthorization is also mindful of our current fiscal state, and reduces authorizations by 17 percent from the 2005 reauthorization. New accountability measures are included in the Senate bill in order to ensure that VAWA funds are used wisely and efficiently.
The reauthorization bill provides important tools for law enforcement, victim service providers, and court personnel to identify high-risk victims and connect them to crisis intervention services. It encourages professionals to share their best practices, which have been proven to be effective, to prevent domestic violence homicides, and it includes measures to ensure an increased focus on sexual assault prevention, enforcement, and services. Additionally, the bill incorporates a consensus version of the SAFER Act, which takes additional important steps to reduce rape kit backlogs.
This reauthorization builds on existing efforts to more effectively combat violence against all victims and aims to ensure that VAWA programs reach more communities whose members need services. It addresses the ongoing crisis of violence against Native women, who face rates of domestic violence and sexual assault much higher than those faced by the general population, by strengthening existing programs and by narrowly expanding concurrent tribal criminal jurisdiction over those who assault Indian spouses and dating partners in Indian country. This provision would ensure that no perpetrators of abuse are immune from accountability, but would do so in a way that protects rights and ensures fairness.
Violence against women remains a critical problem in our nation. We cannot let victims of domestic and sexual violence continue to suffer. We hope you will work with us to quickly pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.
Sincerely,
PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator
MIKE CRAPO
United States Senator
LISA MURKOWSKI
United States Senator
The signs someone is being abusive I can't help thinking of Teabaggers reading these:
Does your partner:
act excessively jealous and possessive?
hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
control where you go or what you do?
threaten to take your children away or harm them?
keep you from seeing your friends or family?
threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
force you to have sex?
destroy your belongings?
constantly check up on you?
have a bad and unpredictable temper?
humiliate or yell at you?
criticize you and put you down?
treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
blame you for their own abusive behavior?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?