Rubio responds to my Violence Against Women question

As I promised in a previous post what follows is the response from Sen. Marco Rubio’s office on my question regarding his vote against the Violence Against Women Act. To be perfectly honest I do not completely understand Mr. Rubio’s reasoning – which does not make it right or wrong, just don’t quite get it. But I am grateful for his response. Here goes, you be the judge.

Dear Mr. Fernandez,

Thank you for writing to me in regard to the Violence Against Women Act.  I understand this is an important issue, I appreciate hearing your thoughts and I am grateful for the opportunity to respond.

As a husband and the father of four children, I understand the importance of maintaining a safe and secure home environment.  Any act of domestic abuse or sexual assault is deplorable, and should be condemned by the community and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  I will continue to be an advocate for strong families and the values they represent, while protecting children and spouses from domestic abuse.  

As you may know, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S.47) passed the Senate on February 12, 2013. I did not vote in favor of this reauthorization because of amendments made to previous versions of the Violence Against Women Act. S.47 diverts funding from domestic violence programs to sexual assault cases without any evidence the increased funding will result in enhanced prosecutions or additional reported cases.  Additionally, S.47 gives the Justice Department greater power in determining how funds are used at the state-level.  This legislation also fails to address the duplication within VAWA and non-VAWA programs. Although I did not support S.47 in its entirety, I continue to support the ongoing work at the federal, state and local government levels to combat domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your United States Senator.  I appreciate you offering your opinion on this important issue.  If I can ever be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Marco Rubio

United States Senator