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Office of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia
Formerly the Office of Representative Gerry Connolly
The Washington, D.C., office and the district office of former Representative Connolly will continue to serve the people of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Representative Connolly passed away on May 21, 2025. See Press Release
Connolly Votes to Pass Violence Against Women Act
Washington, DC,
February 28, 2013
The Senate Violence Against Women Act, now passed by the House of Representative, goes to President Obama for signature into law. Read more.
Congressman Gerry Connolly joined with a majority of Democrats and a minority of Republicans in the House on Thursday to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The bill now goes to the President for his signature. “The Violence Against Women Act represents a commitment that no woman should ever be forced to feel unsafe or insecure in her own home and no woman should ever suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence,” Congressman Connolly said. Connolly joined with 198 House Democrats and 87 Republicans to overcome the opposition of 138 conservatives who opposed the legislation, which is the primary law providing protection for women against abuse, assault, and rape. Prior to approving the stronger Senate version of VAWA, the House defeated a weaker version of the bill proposed by the House Republican leadership. Originally passed 19 years ago, the landmark legislation focuses the resources, time, and energy of federal, state, and local law enforcement on the task of preventing domestic abuse, while providing victims of violence with critical services and assistance. Until 2011, previous versions of the legislation passed Congress with strong bipartisan support. Last year, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan reauthorization of VAWA, with key provisions strengthening the law, by a vote of 68 to 31. However, the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives refused to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor and, as a result, VAWA failed to secure reauthorization in the last Congress. The new legislation extends and strengthens VAWA’s existing provisions and expands protections to LGBT Americans, immigrants, and Native Americans. VAWA has improved the criminal justice system’s ability to keep victims safe and hold perpetrators accountable. Based on this legislation, every state has enacted laws to make stalking a crime and strengthened criminal rape statutes. Since VAWA first became law, the annual incidence of domestic violence has dropped more than 50 percent – and reporting of domestic violence has increased as much as 51 percent. VAWA has successfully encouraged communities and law enforcement agencies to coordinate their responses to violence against women and provide effective, long-term support for victims. “This legislation provides women, children, and families with vital protections against abuse and gives law enforcement essential tools to combat violence,” Connolly said.
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