Deeply Flawed: Coalition to End Domestic Violence Urges Lawmakers to Vote ‘NO’ on Violence Against Women Act, H.R. 1620

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Rebecca Stewart: 513-479-3335

Deeply Flawed: Coalition to End Domestic Violence Urges Lawmakers to Vote ‘NO’ on Violence Against Women Act, H.R. 1620

WASHINGTON / March 17, 2021 – The Coalition to End Domestic Violence is urging members of the House of Representatives to vote “No” on H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill.

Of particular concern is the bill’s dramatic expansion of the definition to domestic violence to include “a pattern of behavior involving the use of physical, sexual, verbal, psychological, economic, or technological abuse.” (Section 2). This broad definition would encompass persons who have experienced spousal nagging, the “silent treatment,” or marital spats, thereby turning most Americans into victims of domestic violence. Law professor Leigh Goodmark has predicted “the prosecutions of women would skyrocket” as a result (1).

H.R. 1620 fails to address a number of well-documented problems with the Violence Against Women Act:

Over-criminalization: Forty-six state DV/SA coalitions have called for an end to VAWA’s primary focus on “increased policing, prosecution, and imprisonment.” (2)
Science versus ideology: Domestic violence programs are based on the ideological notion that domestic violence is all about persons’ patriarchal need for “power and control.” (3)
Evidence of effectiveness: Persons agree there is no evidence that VAWA-funded programs have reduced the rates of domestic violence. (4)
Neglect of male victims: Each year there are 4.2 million male victims and 3.5 female victims of physical domestic violence, according to the CDC. (5) But male victims are routinely ignored.
False allegations: A YouGov survey found that 8% of Americans have been victims of a false allegation of domestic violence, sexual assault, or child abuse. (6)
Immigration injustice: VAWA deprives U.S. citizens of the right to defend against an allegation by a foreign national. (7)
Waste, fraud, and financial abuse: Numerous instances of waste, fraud, and financial abuse by VAWA grantees point to a widespread and long-standing problem that shortchanges victims and cheats taxpayers. (8)
Constitutional protections: VAWA has been found to be violating numerous Constitutional rights and protections such as the right to due process, equal treatment under the law, right to a fair trial, and more.

The Coalition to End Domestic Violence has identified 14 Principles for VAWA Reform. (9)

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