[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 27 (Thursday, February 10, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, yesterday, our colleagues from both 
sides of the aisle came together to announce an agreement on 
reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, which was last acted on 
nearly a decade ago by this Chamber.
  I want to commend my colleagues Senators Feinstein and Durbin, as 
well as Senators Ernst and Murkowski, for all the work they have done 
to bring us closer to reauthorizing VAWA.
  I also want to thank my colleagues who are cosponsoring this 
legislation. And I have a particular interest because when I was in the 
House, I helped carry the original VAWA legislation that became law and 
has now lapsed.
  Most importantly, I want to thank every single person who 
participated in yesterday's press conference who shared their own 
experiences of abuse.
  The Violence Against Women Act is one of the most important laws 
passed by Congress in the last 30 years, and it is my hope that the 
Senate can take action on this bill in the near future.
  There are nine Republicans cosponsoring this legislation so we need 
one more, at least, in order to clear a path forward.
  If we can find more support for VAWA, I would expect that the Senate 
will seek to take action.
  VAWA must be reauthorized. We cannot allow inaction to persist for a 
moment longer, and with yesterday's bipartisan announcement, we are 
closer than ever to achieving that goal.

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