Democrats Rally Support for Protecting Domestic Violence Victims
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Democrats in the House of Representatives are calling on their colleagues to renew a bill that helps protect women from domestic violence.
In a press conference in Washington DC, Democratic House leaders called on Republicans to vote to renew the Violence Against Women Act.
The law, expired in late 2012, increases the legal protections for victims of domestic violence and includes guidelines for law enforcement dealing with domestic violence cases.
House Democrats say the law's renewal is a top priority in this session of Congress.
Rochester Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who worked on the original bill in 1994, says she's disappointed that the law was allowed to expire in the first place.
"We must not wait. It should never have come to this point, ever. If we have to put it on suspension, whatever we have to do. People are waiting out there to continue what we've done since 1994 until we don't see this anymore," Slaughter said.
The bill currently has the support of every female Democrat in the House.