Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (D-Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem) on Friday called on the House GOP leadership to put people before politics and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act swiftly.
Riley, who has sponsored numerous bills in the Assembly to crack down on domestic violence, urged the House of Representatives to get its act together and reconsider the landmark legislation.
“For nearly 20 years, the Violence Against Women Act has provided a blanket of protections for women across this country from a wide-range of gender-based crimes. Letting this legislation lapse is yet another sad chapter in the growing story of the GOP’s war on women.
“It’s unthinkable that this bill should even be up for debate. Violence against women is a persistent threat that claims lives every day. We cannot afford any further delay in voting on this legislation.
“I urge Speaker Boehner and the GOP leadership to work with their colleagues across the aisle to make this legislation one of its top priorities,” said Riley.