In her latest ad, Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins falsely claims that she stood up to her own party to pass the Violence Against Women Act, when in reality she stood by as her fellow House Republican leaders delayed reauthorization of this critical legislation for 500 days.
“Lynn Jenkins is misleading voters, claiming to support the Violence Against Women Act despite the fact that she is part of the House Republican leadership team that delayed it for 500 days,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “If Lynn Jenkins truly prioritized the health and safety of women, she should have demanded a vote, rather than joining with her fellow House Republican leaders to drag their feet and put women at risk.”
BACKGROUND
Jenkins Repeatedly Opposed Consideration of the Violence Against Women Act. In 2012, Jenkins repeatedly voted to block reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. By ordering the previous question, Jenkins prevented bills to reauthorize VAWA from being considered by the House. [H Res 597, Vote #139, 3/28/12; H Res 656, Vote #254, 5/16/12]
Reauthorization Of VAWA Was Delayed for Almost 18 Months. In September 2011, Congress failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act when it expired amid Republican concerns. The legislation was not renewed until February 2013. [CBS News, 2/28/13]