With the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a law that supports and protects victims of domestic violence, now under threat in the Senate, Senator Coons convened local experts today in New Castle to discuss the importance of reauthorizing this critical piece of legislation.
As the co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, Senator Coons was eager to hear directly from the experts representing Delaware’s state, county and local law enforcement agencies, advocacy, community and non-profit organizations, family court, and the Delaware Attorney General’s office. Each explained that the services and programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) are essential to Delaware families.
Senator Coons is one of 50 co-sponsors of legislation to reauthorize VAWA, which has come under threat from some Senate Republicans who oppose the measure in its current form
“The Violence Against Women Act has been extraordinarily effective in preventing and stopping domestic violence, and it can help us do more if Congress is able to reauthorize it,” said Senator Coons. “The right to live in peace, free from abuse, fear and violence is universal, yet threats to this basic right can be found across lines of race, class and even gender. If we are to protect this right and truly build a climate of security in our homes and communities, these crimes cannot be tolerated. VAWA offers important tools for that effort, and I’m concerned that partisan obstructionism in Washington might take those tools out of our communities.”
“We must fight to keep this bill in place. VAWA has touched nearly every community in our entire country,” Carol Post, Executive Director of the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said.
Participants in Tuesday’s roundtable included:
- Timothy Brandau, Ph.D., Executive Director of CHILD, Inc.
- Patricia Dailey Lewis, Esq., Family Division of the Delaware Attorney General’s Office
- Commissioner Carl Danberg of the Department of Correction and Vice Chair of the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council
- Chief Jeffrey Horvath of the Lewes Police Department and Chairman of the Delaware Police Chiefs Council
- Chief James Hosfelt of the Dover Police Department
- Maria Matos, Executive Director of the Latin American Community Center
- Major Nathaniel McQueen, Executive Staff of the Delaware State Police
- Deanee Moran, Director of the Sexual Assault Network of Delaware
- Carol Post, Executive Director of the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Bridget Poulle, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council
- Leann Summa, Esq., Director of Legal Affairs of Family Court
- Lieutenant Teresa Williams of the New Castle County Police Department
Earlier this month, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines, 10-8, to advance the current reauthorization out of committee. It now awaits consideration of the full Senate. Click here to read more about the partisan fight over VAWA: http://huff.to/ypDpSq
Senator Coons spoke about the bill on the Senate floor on February 2. Click here to watch or read it: http://bit.ly/zIYpag