Violence Against Women Act extended in bill that reopened government

By Elise Viebeck January 27 at 1:38 PM

The Violence Against Women Act was extended through Feb. 15 as part of the continuing resolution Friday that reopened the government.

The landmark 1994 law expired in late December after multiple short-term extensions, a blow to lawmakers and activists who have sought a long-term reauthorization.

The government shutdown had also caused a delay in payments to VAWA-funded programs.

VAWA was enacted after Anita Hill’s testimony against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas over alleged sexual harassment and the 1992 “Year of the Woman,” which brought a record number of women to the House and Senate. It lapsed less than three months after Christine Blasey Ford testified that then-Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when the two were in high school and after another election brought a wave of new female lawmakers to Capitol Hill.

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Democrats have vowed to fight for a long-term reauthorization of the law during this Congress. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) stated last week that he would work with Reps. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) to finish the task.

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