Sen. Murray: Don’t throw native women under the bus

The U.S. Senate moved toward renewing and expanding the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on Thursday, rejecting a Republican’s amendment that would have limited prosecution of non-Indians who commit domestic violence against Native American partners. “We are not going to throw Native American women under the bus to get a bill,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in an interview. The legislation is assured of passage, now scheduled for Monday, and sets up a renewed confrontation with the Republican-controlled House. Senators passed a VAWA renewal bill last fall, but Republican leaders would not let it come to the floor for a House vote. “If it had, we had the votes,” Murray […] read more