VAWA + ERA

The House just took action on two long-overdue pieces of legislation for American women. We approved a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a bill first passed in 1994 but lapsed at the end of 2018 in the face of GOP obstruction. {NAME} – The House just took action on two long-overdue pieces of legislation for American women. We approved a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a bill first passed in 1994 but lapsed at the end of 2018 in the face of GOP obstruction. It protects and provides resources for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Despite passing with bipartisan support, special interests like the NRA oppose this bill, which would close the “boyfriend loophole” to prohibit individuals convicted of domestic abuse or stalking from buying a gun. [We will not let them derail our work here. Sign on to stand with women →]( Then, we took up legislation DECADES in the making by voting to remove the time limit to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). A short history lesson: The ERA, first proposed as an amendment to the Constitution in 1921, seeks to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. By 1977, the legislatures of 35 of the 38 states needed to amend the Constitution had approved the amendment – but the deadline for ratification came and went without further progress. Since 2017, three more states have ratified the ERA – putting us on a path to FINALLY affirming women’s equality in our Constitution. Last week, the House passed legislation removing the deadline for ratification. Now, the ball is in the Senate’s court. {NAME}, this Women’s History Month, I’m asking you to speak out with me loud and clear: We cannot delay full and equal protections for women any longer. We deserve equal rights under the law. We deserve to live without fear of violence. [Add your name here if you agree. There’s also a spot to let me know how this legislation would impact you or your loved ones, or share a favorite memory of a history-making woman.]( [STAND WITH WOMEN]( I’ll keep fighting this fight in Congress until full gender equality is the norm. Thanks for standing with me. – Kathleen --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Kathleen Rice represents New York’s Fourth Congressional District. A career prosecutor, Kathleen is a progressive Democrat known for her independent style and ability to work with people from both parties to take on big problems. But now Republicans are looking to flip NY-04 red as part of their efforts to retake the House of Representatives – and Kathleen needs your help to win! [DONATE NOW]( Email is an important way for us to keep supporters like you informed about critical issues and to build a winning grassroots campaign. But if you'd like to receive fewer emails, we understand. You can request to get only the most important emails [here]( or you can [unsubscribe](. Paid for and authorized by Kathleen Rice for Congress Kathleen Rice for Congress P.O. Box 744 Mineola, NY 11501 United States