Washington, DC- Today, the Senate reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act, which funds key programs to combat domestic and sexual violence. Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after passage of the bill.
“The Violence Against Women Act has been extremely successful. Since 1994, when the bill first was passed, domestic violence has gone down more than 50 percent. Today’s reauthorization now expands this successful program. Every victim of domestic violence deserves support and protection. No longer will LGBT men and women be turned away from domestic violence shelters. No longer will violence against Native American women, who face higher rates of domestic and sexual violence, be ignored. Law enforcement will now have all the tools they need to take on these monstrous acts of violence against women.”
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