Letter to the editor: Biden supports women

In March 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022), which was the fifth iteration of VAWA since he championed its original passage in 1994 as a senator. He had been pressing for its passage since 1990 but had been thwarted by political opposition. But he persisted and was ultimately successful.

Why is this important?

Family and domestic violence is a common problem in the United States, affecting an estimated 10 million people every year; as many as one in four women and one in nine men are victims of domestic violence, according to the April 2023 publication “Domestic Violence” on the National Institutes of Health website.

The VAWA Act is a comprehensive legislative package designed to improve criminal justice responses to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking and to increase the availability of services for victims and survivors. VAWA’s origins were from the collective effort of the battered women’s movement, law enforcement agencies, sexual assault advocates, the courts and attorneys who urged Congress to create legislation that protects women from intimate partner violence.

Biden has been supporting women his entire political career, and his persistence speaks to his commitment. He is as good as his word, and his actions speak to his resolve.

What comes to mind is the reflection by award-winning writer, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou who said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Debbie Watt

Murrysville