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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Violence Against Women Act Stalls – NOW "Condemns" House Version

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Monday, May 21, 2012   

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Violence Against Women Act has been renewed twice with bipartisan support since originally passed in 1994, but this year's reauthorization has become the object of an election year political battle. The Senate passed a version of the bill that includes immigrants, Native Americans and LBGT victims of domestic abuse. The House passed a version that excluded those protections.

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is opposed to the House version. Mary Pollack, a NOW legislative vice president, says that's because the House bill excludes many domestic abuse victims who historically have fallen through the cracks.

"Immigrant women are especially vulnerable, because some of them are victims of domestic violence and are very afraid of calling the police or calling for help."

Leaders of more than 30 religious groups are also opposed to the House bill because they say it rolls back current protections for "battered non-citizens." House Republican leaders say their bill protects all victims and that there is no reason for the bill to single out certain groups.

Missouri Senate Republican Roy Blunt voted no to reauthorize the bill; Democrat Claire McCaskill voted yes. Pollock says McCaskill did the right thing.

"It's the bill that we want, and the Republicans seem to be dead set against anything that women's rights advocates want."

Proponents of the Senate bill cited studies that show the rate of domestic abuse among lesbian, gay and transgender people to be about the same as in the general population, yet that abuse is reported less. Pollock thinks House Republicans are afraid to face reality.

"They cannot vote on anything that recognizes there may be more discrimination against that group than other groups. It is the civil rights topic of our time."

Pollock calls the House bill anti-gay, anti-woman and anti-immigrant. House Republicans accuse Senate Democrats of playing politics with the issue.

The Violence Against Women Act expires in September. Both sides say they support reauthorization. No official negotiations have been scheduled to work out a compromise. President Obama has threatened to veto the House version.

The full NOW statement is available at http://tinyurl.com/7kd2qjv. The
Senate bill is S.1925, and the House bill is H.R.4970.




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