JWI Applauds House for Passing VAWA

Washington, D.C. – Jewish Women International (JWI), the leading Jewish organization working to end violence against women and girls, applauds the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019. JWI CEO Lori Weinstein issues the following statement:

“Ending violence against women should always be a national priority. Today, members of the House of Representatives echoed this by passing a bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019. We thank them all, most notably Representatives Bass (D-CA)and Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who led the way. JWI is proud to work with our coalition partners in the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and other allies to advocate for this essential legislation that makes modest but vital improvements to the 2013 VAWA.

Among the many enhancements, JWI specifically applauds the House for taking this critical step to closing the boyfriend loophole, which will ensure that abusers convicted of dating violence and stalking cannot own a gun. We now call on the Senate to introduce and pass an equally strong bill—the safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of victims and survivors are at stake.”

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Jewish Women International (JWI) is the leading Jewish organization working to end violence against women and girls domestically and internationally. JWI is a Steering Committee member of the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women and convenes the Interfaith Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Clergy Task Force to End Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community, and is a member of the Gun Violence Table. JWI’s advocacy efforts focus on the passage of legislation that supports women and girls, ensures their economic security, and protects their right to live free of violence.