[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 70 (Wednesday, May 16, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         STATEMENT ON H.R. 4970

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                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2012

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, although I support the Services, Training, 
Officers, Prosecutors (STOP) grant program, I regretfully had to vote 
no on final passage of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization 
(VAWA). Even with the changes in the manager's amendment, the bill that 
came to the floor today remains a partisan, extremist bill that 
provides far fewer protections for domestic violence victims than the 
strong, bipartisan Senate-passed bill.
  This bill would put victims of domestic violence in greater danger by 
rolling back key protections in current law and by excluding entire 
populations of women, particularly in the LGBT and Native American 
communities, from these valuable victim protections. Even though VAWA 
is a critical grant program, I could not support the House GOP version, 
as such I voted ``nay.''

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