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Originally Posted by Cynthetiq
And here is where I'll definitively diverge. It is not a Federal responsibility. It isn't a requirement for the Federal government as listed within the US Constitution.
I'm happy that each state, county, or district take it upon themselves. To claim that the entire US has to have a Federalized program for this, smacks of more than just Homeland Security patrolling our borders, but also allowing them patrolling our cities and streets. It's more pork than I care to want to pay for. No thank you.
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Violence Against Women Act.....one of Biden's major accomplishments.
Among its provisions, it requires that state/local govts provide rape exams to victims free of charge as a condition of receiving federal funds for other programs under the act. Alaska passed state legislation in order to qualify for federal funding, and yet during her time as mayor, Palin's city still wanted to charge victims.
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The mother of all legislation dealing with violence against women is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), spearheaded by Sen. Joe Biden and after years of lobbying, passed in 1994. VAWA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, renewed in 2000 and expanded in 2005 (signed by President George W. Bush).
VAWA's intent is to improve the national response to domestic violence and sexual assault. VAWA combines a series of federal sanctions and initiatives as well as national, state, and local resources to improve the response to crimes against women. These funds are committed to four specific areas: prosecution, law enforcement, victim service, and courts.
Sen. Biden foresaw the need for such legislation to, among many other things, infuse crucial funds into state systems to fight violence against women. In fact, Alaska's Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault relies on monies from this act. The act requires federal fund grantees (states, Indian tribal governments or local governments) to cover the costs associated with forensic medical exams (including rape kits) in order to receive any VAWA funds. In order to receive these funds, therefore, Alaska state legislators in 2000, under Democratic Governor Tony Knowles, instituted the state law banning law enforcement departments from charging rape victims for their rape kits.
Curiously, while Alaska receives crucial funds from the VAWA act in order to administer its sexual assault programs, Sen. John McCain voted against VAWA twice.
A Culture of Violence Against Women: More Than Rape Kits
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One section of the law that allowed women to sue their attacker in federal court was later determined to be unconstitutional.
McCain has repeatedly voted against it, even after the latest reauthorization that removed the unconstitutional provision.