Duckworth Calls on Congress to Stop Playing Politics with Women’s Lives

Duckworth Urges Immediate Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act

ROLLING MEADOWS - Tammy Duckworth, candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 8th district, released a statement today calling on Congress to stop the petty, partisan divides preventing Washington from reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. Recently Tea Party Congressman Joe Walsh, along with House Republicans, voted to block consideration of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization even though the measure expired in September.

Duckworth said: “Since the Violence Against Women Act first passed in 1994, it has been consistently re-authorized with strong bipartisan support. But this year extremist Republicans, including Joe Walsh, placed politics over women’s lives. The Violence Against Women Act shouldn’t be remotely controversial. It's been an incredibly important and effective tool in preventing domestic violence and sexual assault, and I urge Congress to stop the partisan brinksmanship and reauthorize a program so vital to our communities.”

Congressman Walsh’s failed leadership on extending the Violence Against Women Act is part of a disturbing pattern of attacks on women. Earlier this year, Congressman Walsh claimed that a hearing on banningcontraception was “not about women.”