After several days of debate, the Senate voted on Tuesday to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in a 78 to 22 vote. The reauthorization includes protections for LGBT and Native American survivors. Several amendments that would have stripped those protections from the Act were rejected in the days before the vote.

The legislation includes the SAFER Act as well, which provides state and local governments with funding to audit the untested rape kits in their facilities and creates a national registry to help track those audits. It also amends current law to require a greater percentage of federal grant money be spent directly on analyzing untested rape kits.

Joyful Heart extends our deepest gratitude to the Senators who voted in favor of VAWA and moving forward our country’s efforts to end domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. VAWA provides critical funding and support for domestic violence hotlines and shelters, rape crisis centers, prevention programs, legal services for victims and training for law enforcement and prosecutors.

From President Obama:

Today the Senate passed a strong bipartisan bill to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act.  This important step shows what we can do when we come together across party lines to take up a just cause. The bill passed by the Senate will help reduce homicides that occur from domestic violence, improve the criminal justice response to rape and sexual assault, address the high rates of dating violence experienced by young women, and provide justice to the most vulnerable among us.  I want to thank Senator Leahy and his colleagues from both sides of the aisle for the leadership they have shown on behalf of victims of abuse.  It’s now time for the House to follow suit and send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.

From Vice President Biden:

Today, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. This law has been incredibly effective and I hope the House will vote without delay to renew the law so that we can continue to assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and hold offenders accountable for their crimes.

Delay isn’t an option when three women are still killed by their husbands or boyfriends every day. Delay isn’t an option when countless women still live in fear of abuse, and when one in five have been victims of rape. This issue should be beyond debate – the House should follow the Senate’s lead and pass the Violence Against Women Act right away. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue – it’s an issue of justice and compassion.