House votes to reauthorize lapsed Violence Against Women Act, revive Equal Rights Amendment


The House on Wednesday voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which expired in 2019 after the Republican-led Senate declined to take up the measure. The vote was 244 to 172, with 29 Republicans joining the Democrats to reauthorize the law. President Biden introduced the original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1990, and a version of it was enacted in 1994. It was reauthorized three times, most recently in 2013, with support from 23 Senate Republicans and 87 House Republicans.
The legislation, which aims to curb domestic and sexual violence and support its survivors, now heads to the Senate, where it faces a tougher fight. Many Republicans, and the National Rifle Association, object to provisions in the new law that prevent people convicted of misdemeanor stalking from purchasing firearms and close what Democrats call the "boyfriend loophole" to a domestic violence violence provision for spouses. Some Republicans also oppose including transgender women in an expansion of protections that also covers Native American and immigrant women.
The House also voted 222-204 to revoke a lapsed deadline for ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA had been approved by only 35 states, not the necessary 38, when a deadline set by Congress expired in 1982, but Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the constitutional amendment in January 2020. If the Senate approves the House measure and Biden signs it, the courts will likely ultimately decide if that passes muster or ERA supporters have to start over again.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Book reviews: 'America, América: A New History of the New World' and 'Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson'
Feature A historian tells a new story of the Americas and the forgotten story of a pioneering preacher
-
Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot water
The Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
-
AI hallucinations are getting worse
In the Spotlight And no one knows why it is happening
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglers
speed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers
-
Judge ends Eric Adams case, Trump leverage
Speed Read Federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were dismissed, as requested by Trump's Justice Department
-
Texas arrests midwife on felony abortion charges
Speed Read Maria Margarita Rojas and an employee at one of her clinics are the first to be criminally charged under Texas' near-total abortion ban
-
South Carolina to execute prisoner by firing squad
speed read Death row inmate Brad Sigmon prefers the squad over the electric chair or lethal injection, his lawyer said
-
Mexico extradites 29 cartel figures amid US tariff threat
Speed Read The extradited suspects include Rafael Caro Quintero, long sought after killing a US narcotics agent
-
Leonard Peltier released from prison
Speed Read The Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents had his life sentence commuted by former President Joe Biden
-
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years
Speed Read The former New Jersey senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last year