Voters Support Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act
By Bella Kumar
Under the Clinton Administration, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was passed as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. That bill was a landmark piece of legislation, marking the first federal legislative effort to end violence against women. VAWA provided funding toward the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women — as well as established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.
In 2018, under the Trump Administration, VAWA authorization lapsed. This March, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 with a bipartisan vote of 244-172. President Biden signed VAWA into law last week as part of the Omnibus appropriations package. After four years of its authorization lapsing, VAWA is once again law.
The reauthorization includes expanded support for Indigenous and LBGTQIA+ peoples, funding to prevent and prosecute cybercrimes, compensation for rape-kit backlogs, and more.
New polling from Data for Progress finds a strong majority of voters support the reauthorization of VAWA. Voters support the bill by a +80-point margin, including Democrats by a +86-point margin, Independents by a +80-point margin, and Republicans by a +72-point margin.
Voters clearly support federal intervention in crimes against women. It is up to Congress to ensure this critical legislation never lapses again and that we do more to protect all women, however they identify, from violent crimes.
Bella Kumar is a communications intern at Data for Progress.
Survey Methodology