The two leaders came together to discuss the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and commonsense gun violence prevention legislation
In January, Klobuchar reintroduced the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act to close what is commonly referred to as the ‘boyfriend loophole’ by preventing people who have abused dating partners from buying or owning firearms
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) met with former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to continue their work to protect victims of stalking and domestic abuse and urge the Senate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
In January, Klobuchar reintroduced the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act to close what is commonly referred to as the ‘boyfriend loophole’ by preventing people who have abused dating partners from buying or owning firearms. The bill would also prevent people convicted of stalking from possessing a gun—commonsense updates to federal law which many states have already adopted. The Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act has 31 Senate cosponsors. The bipartisan companion bill in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
On April 4, the House of Representatives passed the reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act with a bipartisan vote of 263 to 158, including provisions based on Klobuchar’s Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act.
“Gabby Giffords is the personification of courage, strength, patriotism and love,” Klobuchar said. “I am proud to stand with former Congresswoman Giffords and so many other advocates who support the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand how domestic violence and stalking force people to live in fear and pain. I’m outraged that the NRA and others have come out against this commonsense legislation, which expands domestic violence protections to include dating partners and prevents people convicted of stalking from possessing a gun.”
Klobuchar is a national leader in the fight to prevent domestic violence. She is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and prior to her time in the Senate, Klobuchar served as Hennepin County Attorney. In 2018, Klobuchar and Cornyn’s SAFER Act—legislation that would reauthorize, strengthen, and extend the Sexual Assault Forensic Registry program in an effort to help reduce the national rape kit backlog—was signed into law. In 2016, the Klobuchar-backed bipartisan Justice for All Reauthorization Act was signed into law. The law strengthens the rights of crime victims by providing the protection they need to restore their lives and enhances law enforcement’s ability to proactively stop violent criminals. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act also aims to reduce the rape kit backlog by supporting grant programs that fund forensic testing.
CAPTION: U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and former Congressman Gabrielle Giffords meet to continue their work to protect victims of stalking and domestic abuse and urge the Senate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
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