More
Sickening Incompetence: The Little Congress That Couldn't
While the 112th Congress was busy screwing around with the fiscal cliff that they built for themselves, the Violence Against Women Act was left by the wayside. The VAWA was originally passed in 1994 but expired in 2011 when some of the more conservative congressmen voted against expanded protection for more diverse rape victims. The anemic, watered-down version passed in May, but any promise of a full-fledged Violence Against Women Act died when the politicians decided fighting with one another was more important than protecting rape victims.
01.03.13
Back in May of 2012, Gwen Moore implores the house to support stronger anti-rape legislation. Unfortunately, Moore's fears proved true, and what should have been a human rights no-brainer became a catty, partisan stalemate resulting in legislation that does about as little as the very Congress that watered it down.