[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 64 (Friday, April 12, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               VOTE EXPLANATION ON H.R. 1585, AS AMENDED

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                           HON. BILL HUIZENGA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 12, 2019

  Mr. HUIZENGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to give an in-depth 
explanation for my vote on H.R. 1585, legislation to reauthorize the 
Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and to speak out against the 
partisan process in which the Majority crafted this bill.
  Prior to the vote on H.R. 1585, I have made clear that I support the 
reauthorization of The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). I am 
frustrated by the fact that instead of putting forward a clean 
reauthorization of this vital legislation, the Democrat Majority 
allowed the provision to expire at the end of the last Congress for 
political purposes.
  Protecting women from abuse is an issue so important that 
partisanship shouldn't even be in the same sentence, yet the Majority 
chose to use this opportunity to push VAWA as a partisan political 
device instead of a bipartisan opportunity to help women in need. H.R. 
1585 will not be passed by the Senate in its current form and I remain 
committed to seeing that VAWA is reauthorized in a manner that protects 
women, makes needed reforms, and adheres to the Constitution.
  West Michigan is blessed to have countless faith-based organizations 
that work in the community to provide assistance to women during their 
time of need, and H.R. 1585 fails to provide protections for these 
faith-based grant recipients or provide for religious hiring 
exemptions. These organizations serve a vital part in both protecting 
women and providing support throughout the recovery process.
  Instead of protecting women, this legislation could in fact 
potentially put more women in harm's way and is an affront to the 
privacy and safety of women. The legislation permits biological males 
to be housed in women's prison facilities. Forcing women who have 
suffered abuse to live and sleep in the same facility as biological 
males is the opposite of protecting women against violence.
  I also have concerns that VAWA grants have been used to fund Planned 
Parenthood. In fact, according to a 2018 GAO report, Planned Parenthood 
received approximately $300,000 from VAWA formula grands during 2013-
2015. There is no specific language in 1585 that would prohibit this 
from happening in the future.
  Finally, I have significant constitutional concerns with section 903 
of the legislation which weakens the due process of individuals in 
tribal courts on Indian reservations. Crimes committed on reservations 
should be addressed without eliminating the Bill of Rights and 
preventing federal review in cases where tribal capacity to adequately 
prosecute crimes is a problem.
  The reauthorization of VAWA should be done in a manner that puts 
people, not politics first. Going forward, I hope to be able to vote 
for a truly bipartisan reauthorization of this important legislation.

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