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VICTORY: Violence Against Women Act Passes

Sheila Thomas

When partisan infighting was keeping the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) from being reauthorized, rape survivor Sheila Thomas created a MoveOn Petition calling on Republicans in the House to pass VAWA without further delay. The petition gathered more than 219,000 signatures, which Sheila delivered in person to Speaker John Boehner, and signers generated hundreds of calls to Congress. After continued pressure from MoveOn, UltraViolet, and many other allies, the House passed an expanded version of VAWA, which included added protections for LGBT, Native American, and undocumented victims of violence.