Though understandable the Democrats and Republicans can’t always agree on every policy, why is the Violence Against Women Act about to expire? VAWA is a relatively simple piece of legislation addressing the punishment for crimes commonly committed against women, such as rape, domestic violence and stalking. So why on earth is this not easily renewed?
Well, the bill has no Republican support, and with a government that is currently more Republican and a President that doesn’t seem to address any human rights, this highlights a real problem with American policies and values.
Republicans are not actively writing legislation that oppresses women, but they are showing an inability to support legislation that helps women’s rights. What’s the difference, if in the end, women’s rights falter due to lack of support? Why is the VAWA, of all policies, not considered important enough to renew without hesitation?
Lacking support for women’s rights has sadly become a reoccurring theme for the Republican party. To see another very current and relevant example, just look at Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the Blasey Ford hearings.
Kavanaugh constantly dodged questions and would not support an FBI investigation. He denied all claims of the incident, and if he is truly innocent, why isn’t he pushing for an investigation to prove his innocence? Now, I would not want to be judged for a mistake I made in high school for the rest of my life, but this is a bit more than a simple mistake. This is a display of action against women’s rights, and as a federal judge, shouldn’t he adamantly want to uphold rights for all?
Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina) represents how the Republican party views women’s voices, women’s bodies and women’s rights. He vocalized himself in the midst of the hearing and said Kavanaugh did nothing wrong, and Blasey Ford’s accusations were just a political ploy against the Republican party, to which statements Kavanaugh smirked.
Despite these allegations, the Republican Party continues to push for Kavanaugh’s election. Despite the horrible things he’s being accused of, the party refuses to give leeway to another candidate. There are plenty of conservative judges who would love to be appointed to the Supreme Court that have not been accused of sexual assault.
The fact that Donald Trump and the rest of his party continue to push Kavanaugh is just another middle finger to women. The fact that Trump and the Republican refuse to acknowledge VAWA and have instead pushed its expiring date to December truly shows how the Republican party views women’s rights–with hesitation and without conviction that women deserve equal due justice.
