Washington—Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) released the following statement in support of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act that was reintroduced in the House of Representatives:

“Reauthorizing VAWA is long overdue since the law expired in 2018. The bipartisan bill introduced in the House mirrors legislation we introduced in the last Congress. Unfortunately, that bill was blocked in the Senate last Congress and didn’t even receive a vote in committee.

“This isn’t a Democratic bill or a Republican bill – it’s a survivors’ bill. It was written with the support of the people on the front lines who know what is needed in the real world. It preserves protections made in previous reauthorizations and also makes meaningful improvements to the law.

“A quarter of American women will be the victim of physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes. More than a third of all women will be raped, assaulted or stalked. Sadly, according to U.S. News and World Report, domestic violence has spiked 8.1 percent during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We look forward to working with and under the leadership of Chairman Durbin to advance this important legislation. It’s far past time for this bill’s important updates to be put in place and ensure that women across the country receive these reasonable protections.”