The United States House of
Representatives on Wednesday vowed to reauthorise the Violence Against Women Act,
a legislative shield that protects victims of domestic and sexual abuse, which lapsed
in 2018 during the tenure of the previous Congress due to political
differences. Originally passed in 1994, the bill was championed by the-then Senator
Joe Biden, and has been updated in 2000, 2005 and 2013, reported AFP.

The bill calls for providing grants
to groups working with issues such as domestic abuse and sexual assault, as well
as funding outreach in communities generally deprived of facilities in such
areas.

Also read: US House votes to renew Violence Against Women Act

It passed on Wednesday by a 244-172 margin in the House.

The updated bill also includes the
LGBTQ community into its pool of groups affected by abuse, as it includes a
program to fight domestic abuse against members of the community through
preventive education and training.

Furthermore, the bill includes scope
for housing access for victims and survivors.

The new additions, significantly, close
chances of ambiguity related to terms such as dating partner and stalker.

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“This should not be a Democratic
or Republican issue — it’s about standing up against the abuse of power and
preventing violence,” President Joe Biden was quoted by AFP as saying
regarding the issue.

Gun control politics seemingly interfered
with the proceedings to pass the bill in 2019, as National Rifle Association
objected to a measure in the bill which would prevent people convicted of abusing
dating partners from buying or owning guns.

It was ultimately prevented from
enactment by the-then largely Republican controlled US Senate.

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The updated bill at present extends
gun purchase bans to any ex-partner or stalker charged with domestic abuse.

This could cause problems yet again in
passing the bill in a 50-50 divided Senate.

The emergence of the bill saw the
backdrop of horrific violence in the city of Atlanta on Tuesday, where incidents
of gun violence in three different spas in an around the city saw six women of
Asian descent lose their lives.