As the Republican Party has been scrambling to show that they really like women — okay only conservative women —, they are about to lose another battle as the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D – Nevada) brings up Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 for a cloture vote.
And because the Republican Party’s stance on women, once again conservative women, they will most likely vote, “No”. As Senator Chris Coons said, “It’s my real hope that we’ll be able to get this bill and get through some intransigence on the other side and get it reauthorized.”
So what has the GOP in a tizzy? The New York Times explains in an editorial:
The main drama lies in whether opponents will insist on a cloture vote, requiring 60 senators, before final passage and whether they will succeed in amending the bill to eliminate or weaken provisions they find offensive. They are taking aim at ones extending the law’s protections to same-sex couples, modestly increasing the availability of special visas for undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic violence and expanding efforts to reach Indian tribes.
The Times goes on to say:
Republicans angrily complain that Democrats inserted those new elements in order to invite their opposition, which could hurt the G.O.P. in fall elections. But the provisions respond to real humanitarian and law enforcement needs.