 All women must be protected from violence, and supported in their brave decisions to leave violent relationships. Texas’ two Republican Senators do not agree. Both Senator Cruz and Senator Cornyn voted against protecting the women we care about.
Every single Senator who voted against protecting women is a man, and a Republican. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has been voted on two previous times, and was always considered a nonpartisan issue that deserves support. But the radical right and the Tea Party have changed all of that. It’s hard to imagine why anyone would vote against protecting women from violence. But conservative Phyllis Schlafly has been vocal about their reasoning. VAWA gives abused women somewhere safe to turn. But Schlafly is concerned that giving women safe options would cause marriages to be “broken by false allegations of domestic violence.” Republican Senators Cornyn and Cruz believe that if a woman is being beat up and lives in a hostile marriage, she should not have support in leaving that marriage. Really? We thought that such a dinosaur mentality was a thing of the past. But not with the Republican Party, especially the one that we have in Texas. Texans, we can’t allow this to be how we are represented in the Senate anymore. Violence against women is never right. And voting to pull support from women courageously leaving violent situations is a reprehensible act. This is not a political game. This is about protecting women. The Texas Democratic Party is at work on building infrastructure and recruiting a strong candidate to run against Cornyn in 2014, and one to run against Cruz when he comes up for reelection in 2018. Turning Texas Blue isn’t just a political catch phrase. It is what’s necessary to provide the women we love with the safety, security and support they deserve. Please forward this message on to the Texan women in your life. We all need to be aware of how our Republican Senators voted on VAWA. And then we need to vote them out of office. At the Texas Democratic Party, we will fight until all of us, including our sisters, daughters and mothers, are safe. Sincerely, Gilberto Hinojosa
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