Senate tries again to move anti-violence bill
BY AP Wire Service
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
2/05/13 at 6:19 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats, bolstered by Republican support, on Monday launched a new attempt to broaden a law protecting women from domestic abuse by expanding its provisions to cover gays, lesbians and Native Americans.
The legislation to renew the Violence Against Women Act appeared on a path toward passage in the Senate, possibly by the end of this week. Monday's vote to make the bill the next order of business was 85-8.
Senate passage would send the bill to the House. Advocates hope that Republicans won't repeat their resistance last year to the Senate approach.
"Allowing partisan delays to put women's lives at risk is simply shameful," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said before the vote.
House Republicans, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, say reauthorizing the 1994 act, which expired in 2011, is a priority. But resolving partisan differences remains an obstacle: Last year both the House and Senate passed bills, but the House would not go along with some Senate provisions.
