At a Capitol press availability Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that Republicans will not block Democratic legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
“It has been the goal and the desire of Senate Republicans to pass the Violence Against Women Act without procedural impediment,” he said. “We voted to get on the bill without filibuster and we will get off the bill without filibuster.”
That removes the key obstacle to passing the bill, which includes provisions explicitly extending the law’s protections to immigrants, same-sex partners and tribal communities that many Republicans oppose.
That leaves one potential roadblock. Republicans are seeking agreement from Democrats on amendment votes, including one measure by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) that would accelerate the testing of untested rape kits and strengthen sentencing guidelines for violent sex crimes. If the parties reach accord, the reauthorization could pass the Senate Thursday evening.
