Working for Women

 By: Kate Nocera LEESBURG, Va. — Nancy Pelosi turned the tables on Stephen Colbert on Friday, quizzing the Comedy Central host at the House Democratic retreat. Colbert told the room of Democratic lawmakers that he and the former House speaker are “best frenemies.” “We may have disagreed in the past and today we will disagree in the… Read more »

 By Kristina Peterson LANSDOWNE, Va. – A Republican interloper crashed the House Democrats’ annual retreat on Friday, or at least someone who pretends to be one: the comedian Stephen Colbert. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) invited the host of Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” to speak privately before the House Democratic… Read more »

 By: Tammy Francois, Lake County News Chronicle At the end of last week it, was announced that the Violence Against Women Act, federal legislation to fund programs and services for victims of domestic and sexual violence, including many in Minnesota, had 60 co-sponsors, enough to prevent a filibuster in the Senate. Democrats in favor numbered 53, with seven Republicans vowing to… Read more »

 By Derek Wallbank  The U.S. Senate will vote as soon as today on letting tribal courts try people accused of sexual assault who aren’t registered members of an American Indian tribe. The proposal is intended to give women seeking protection from non-Indian abusers some place to go besides the offices of U.S. attorneys who may be hundreds of miles away.… Read more »

 By Lisa Kaiser Earlier this year, the unthinkable happened. For the first time in almost two decades, the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was allowed to expire. Although VAWA’s funding continues—for now at least—its authorization lapsed in January and is now at the mercy of those in Congress who do not wish to improve its protections for… Read more »

 By Sarah Childress A Senate proposal to allow tribal courts to try non-Native abusers on reservations is one of three controversial changes that for more than a year have stalled the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a popular bipartisan bill since its first passage in 1994. Additional proposals would have ban discrimination against LGBT people by… Read more »

 By Lauren Fox The Violence Against Women Act is expected to clear a procedural hurdle Monday and be moved out of the Senate by the end of the week with bipartisan support, but its future remains in limbo in the House of Representatives because of key protections for immigrants and the LGBT community. The original bill, which was passed in the 1990s, expired nearly two… Read more »

 By Michelle Cottle  The election is over. The battles are done. You’d think if there was one thing Republicans and Democrats could agree on, it’s fighting violence against women. Think again. Much of the Beltway was still nursing an inaugural hangover when lawmakers gently but firmly waded back into the so-called war on women. Last Tuesday, Democrat… Read more »

 By Steve Benen   After decades of bipartisan support, the Violence Against Women Act expired a few weeks ago, after House Republicans blocked a bipartisan Senate bill that would have kept the law alive. For supporters of the 1994 law, which assists victims of domestic and sexual violence, the GOP's indifference to VAWA was outrageous. But the fight isn't over.… Read more »

 By Ashley Parker  A day after the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act was reintroduced in the Senate, House Democrats declared that they would do everything in their power to ensure that it also passes the House. The bill, which reauthorizes a 1994 law that assists victims of domestic and sexual violence, is similar to a bill that the Senate passed last year… Read more »