Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, voted to reauthorize H.R. 1585, a bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Rep. Kuster is a co-sponsor of this legislation.

“We face the harsh reality that domestic and sexual violence crimes remain all too common and we must continue working toward solutions,” said Kuster. “This reauthorization will be a step forward and will help prevent these crimes from occurring and provide the support survivors need to heal. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in this fight and I will continue to work across the aisle to enhance protections for families in New Hampshire and across the country.”

Since first enacted nearly a quarter-century ago as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, VAWA has dramatically reduced intimate partner violence against women and men. This reauthorization included Rep. Kuster’s bipartisan Improve Data on Sexual Violence Act, which would create an interagency working group to study the different terms used to describe acts of sexual violence across four government agencies and provide recommendations to Congress about how to harmonize them. Standardizing the language used in federal agencies will help to streamline and improve the response to sexual violence. Kuster has long been a champion for survivors of sexual and domestic violence, sharing her own personal experiences involving sexual assault on the House floor and joining with 17 other Members of Congress to read Emily Doe’s open letter describing her attack and ensuing trial – which marked the first time a victim’s statement has been read in full in the House chambers.

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