Violence Against Women Act Passes

The Associated Press reports,

“By a robust bipartisan majority, the Senate voted Tuesday to renew the Violence Against Women Act with new assurances that gays and lesbians, immigrants and Native American women will have equal access to the act's anti-domestic violence programs.

“The 78-22 Senate vote to reauthorize the two-decade-old act that has shielded millions of women from abuse and helped reduce national rates of domestic violence turns the focus to the House, where Republican leaders are working to come up with their own version.”

Differences between the House and Senate were not able to reach a compromise agreement last year, passing two different versions of the Act. The main point of disagreement is over which courts have jurisdiction over cases involving non-native American men accused of violence against native American women on reservations.