As the war against women continues, there was a spot of light last week in the Senate. Sixty-eight Senators voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, defeating the 31 Republican men who voted to take away women’s voices after they have been attacked. One might ask, do these 31 Republican men have no mothers, no sisters, no daughters? What is it with Republicans and women lately? We can only presume they don’t care about women’s health and well being–this includes all of the Republican women who so often suffer from internalized oppression, Sarah Palin et al.
This legislation is slated to go to the House next. Sadly, the House GOP is planning on introducing a bill with the same name, but their version of the Violence Against Women Act attempts to strip out the very provisions protecting Native Americans, undocumented immigrants, and LGBT Americans we just fought for. I guess the GOP really has no clue about marginalized populations and the intersections of oppression–to think about such issues one would have to be a civil servant!
So let’s call out bad behavior and let’s attach the names to these 31 Republicans that we need to be afraid of:
| Barrasso (R-WY) | Grassley (R-IA) | Moran (R-KS) |
| Blunt (R-MO) | Hatch (R-UT) | Paul (R-KY) |
| Boozman (R-AR) | Inhofe (R-OK) | Risch (R-ID) |
| Burr (R-NC) | Isakson (R-GA) | Roberts (R-KS) |
| Chambliss (R-GA) | Johanns (R-NE) | Rubio (R-FL) |
| Coburn (R-OK) | Johnson (R-WI) | Sessions (R-AL) |
| Cochran (R-MS) | Kyl (R-AZ) | Shelby (R-AL) |
| Cornyn (R-TX) | Lee (R-UT) | Thune (R-SD) |
| DeMint (R-SC) | Lugar (R-IN) | Toomey (R-PA) |
| Enzi (R-WY) | McConnell (R-KY) | Wicker (R-MS) |
| Graham (R-SC) | ||
Note that in nine states (AL, GA, KS, KY, MS, OK, SC, UT, WY) vulnerable populations received no Senate support whatsoever. On the plus side, thanks to the six Republican men in the Senate – Alexander (TN), Coats (IN), Corker (TN), Crapo (ID), McCain (AZ), Portman (OH) – who bucked the trend and did the right thing with this vote.
I see that Pat Toomey (R-PA) from our state voted against the bill. Tom and I were sad to see him win the mid-terms a couple years ago. The citizens of the US need to start voting in their best interests. Sadly, there is such a lack of education.
Jamie, sorry to learn about Toomey, but not surprised. Y’all need to move to Oregon.
Perhaps one day.
That picture almost made me vomit. Oh yeah that’s because according to these men I am pregnant.
I’m glad the picture accurately depicted how horrible these men are.