On June 20, 1990, then-Senator Joe Biden introduced the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the United States Congress
Biden has called that law the legislation he is “proudest” of from his career in the Senate.
What did it do?
VAWA changed law enforcement practices, improved the criminal justice system, and created a network of services for victims. The bill established new federal crimes of interstate domestic violence and stalking, doubled penalties for repeat sex offenders, and sparked the passage of laws at the state level to protect victims.
What was the effect?
Today, many experts credit VAWA with contributing to a dramatic decrease in the rate of domestic violence in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the overall rate of intimate-partner violence dropped 64% from 1993 to 2010.
Lawyers who helped to draft the bill say that part of the reason the legislation has been so successful is that it has helped to create a profound cultural change, and has encouraged Americans to take gender-based violence seriously.
What was Biden’s role?
Biden, who was then the chair of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, first proposed working on the bill because he was concerned about national attitudes about violence against women — and was especially “appalled” that people didn’t take marital rape seriously.
He introduced the Act in 1990 and thus helped to return the issue of violence against women to the national stage. The legislation, co-authored by Rep. Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat, was also backed by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, a Utah Republican, and had the support of a coalition of women’s rights groups, including NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.
“<Biden> gets criticized for his emotion and his empathy. But it also means he has grit; when it gets in that he’s got to do something, he’s not taking no for an answer,” Victoria Nourse,< a constitutional law professor at Georgetown University > says. “That bill could only have been passed because of Joe Biden.”
As a DIRECT result of Joe’s work on this particular legislation The National Domestic Violence Hotline was created and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Joe has visited several times, and the Hotline is A resource for people all over the US. Phone Number: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) There is also an internet chat line.
You can find it at this link <thanks Stolibien09>
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Joe Biden recognized that violence against women, including domestic violence, was a real problem well before many of his peers. This may seem obvious now, but Joe was ahead of his time in taking women’s lives seriously.
And not only did he realize it, but he did something about it. He did so because it was the right thing to do.
Joe Biden will be a great president.
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This is day 13 in my series 100 Days of Loving Joe Biden
Did you miss any of the 100 days? Here they are:
Day 1: Biden’s Tax Plan
Day 2: Gay Marriage
Day 3: Biden’s FDR Sized presidency
Day 4: Biden is a mensch
Day 5: Biden has a Covid-19 plan
Day 6: Biden ran the Obama economic recovery
Day 7: Biden’s Housing Plan
Day 8: Biden knows love and commitment
Day 9: Biden knows exactly who Republicans are
Day 10: Biden understands America
Day 11: Biden will be a Trojan horse for Warren/Sanders
Day 12: Biden has felt pain and found empathy
You can also find the 100 days of loving Biden on Twitter at this link. Follow and retweet! The Twitter feed is new and I could use all the support I can get ❤️
