Republican Leadership Split On Whether To Protect Native American Women

[Lakhota]

By Erik Stegman

With only three weeks left for Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), one man is standing in its way: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA). The House passed a version of VAWA last May by a narrow 222-205 vote, which stripped protections for LGBT, immigrant and Native American women included in an earlier Senate version of the bill. The Senate version passed by a now-rare 68 vote super majority, including every female Senator.

So, what’s the hold up? Protections for Native American women. As law enforcement, victims, and advocates have turned up pressure to pass the widely-supported Senate bill before the end of the year, other Republican House leaders have changed course and offered a compromise. Two members of senior Republican leadership, Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Tom Cole (R-OK), an enrolled member of the Chicasaw Nation, introduced a stand alone bill that responds to their caucus’ concern about the Senate bill. The concern is over a provision that restores local tribal authority to prosecute domestic violence against Native American women. The Issa-Cole compromise adds protections for defendants with a new option to remove the case to federal court. In fact, Issa tried to offer this language as an amendment during committee consideration of the bill, but was shut down by Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) who didn’t even allow a vote on it.

Although it is expected that the Majority Leader has worked through a compromise with advocates on the LGBT and immigration provisions, he has dug in his heels on stripping the Native American protections, even in light of the Issa-Cole compromise language.

As the Majority Leader ponders how to move forward, he may want to take a cue from Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), another fellow Republican: “Rape is rape, and there’s no splitting hairs over rape.”

More: Republican Leadership Split On Whether To Protect Native American Women | ThinkProgress

 

[Oldguy]

So...what's the beef, exactly. I'm not following it.

 

[Oddball]

What's the fucking sovereign tribe for, Spamahontas?

Why don't they take some of that casino loot and protect their women with it?

 

[elvis]

What's the fucking sovereign tribe for, Spamahontas?

Why don't they take some of that casino loot and protect their women with it?

Or take advantage of free college.....

 

[Lakhota]

So...what's the beef, exactly. I'm not following it.

Maybe this will help if you are interested:

The Republican War On Women Hits The Rez | Desert Beacon

 

[Oddball]

You don't live on the rez and I'd bet a week's pay that you're not Lakota Sioux.

 

[Lakhota]

So, weirdo, what does that have to do with the thread topic?

 

[Oddball]

Has to do with you being a total fraud and that the American Indians have plenty of resources to protect anyone that they see fit to protect.

But you're a career parasite, who will run the host into the ground at any opportunity.

Were Russel Means alive today, he might well kick you in the ass so hard that it'd leave a bruise on your mother.

 

[Oddball]

I notice you're too much of a craven coward to tell us why this shouldn't be handled at the tribal level.

Or are you just here to spam shit from StinkRegress and run?

 

[Lakhota]

Who said it shouldn't be handled at the tribal level. Can't you read?

 

[Oddball]

I can read you bitching about congress.

Why don't you bitch about the tribe(s) not doing all they can, rather than come whining and begging to congress?

Or haven't you heard that tribes are sovereign and don't need to go begging permission from paleface to do what they please with their own people?

 

[Lakhota]

Are you really that dumb?

 

[Lakhota]

This was a good start, but definitely not the end of the road. The jurisdiction issues still place many Native American women in jeopardy, as Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) explained:

“…many of those crimes “go un-prosecuted and unpunished” because tribes cannot prosecute non-Native Americans for domestic violence crimes committed on tribal land. Only federal prosecutors have the authority to prosecute non-Native Americans for domestic violence crimes against their Native American spouses or partners. More than half of Native women are married to non-Native husbands. “Native women should not be abandoned to a jurisdictional loophole,” Udall said. “In effect, these women are living in a prosecution-free zone.” [RS]​

Thus, we have more than 50% of Native American women married to non-Native husbands, who are NOT subject to the jurisdiction of the federal prosecutors provided for in the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. These women are, if their husbands choose to be abusive and violent, totally vulnerable.

“Current law does nothing to address the jurisdictional gap in Indian Country that leaves Native women without equal access to justice. In short, an Indian woman raped or beaten by her non-Indian husband often has nowhere to turn for protection under existing law. Tribal law enforcement has no authority to intervene because the perpetrator is a non-Indian; the State has no authority to intervene because the victim is an Indian; and the Federal Government—the body with exclusive jurisdiction—has neither the will nor the resources to intervene in misdemeanor level domestic violence cases.” [4VAWA]
​

Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI4) made the point as clearly as possible:

“…this bill would recognize the tribes’ authority to prosecute non-Indians or Indians who abuse their American Indian spouses or dating partners on tribal lands. Fifty-two percent of women who are beaten, battered, raped, or stalked on tribal lands are not prosecuted because tribes have no authority. And on tribal lands, there is no follow-up and no prosecution. [...] We’re actually sanctioning the abuse that occurs on tribal lands and providing a sanctuary for assailants who commit these crimes on native lands by not providing this authority to tribal nations.. [Rep. Moore (D-WI4) CR pdf]​

More: The Republican War On Women Hits The Rez | Desert Beacon

 

[koshergrl]

So are we pretending that Indian women who get beaten by their white men have no recourse to protection of the law?

What garbage.

 

[Lakhota]

So are we pretending that Indian women who get beaten by their white men have no recourse to protection of the law?

What garbage.

Pretending? No, it's fact. Unless you can provide "credible" proof otherwise...

 

[whitehall]

Any statistics on "white men" abusing Native American women on tribal property? My guess is that Native American tribal police are pretty busy with Native American drunks abusing their own people.

 

[koshergrl]

Cripes, I know white men who have done time for, and I know prosecutors of, white men who beat up on Indian women, you fucking loon.

 

[WillowTree]

Is poke a haunt us scared?

 

[Lakhota]

Cripes, I know white men who have done time for, and I know prosecutors of, white men who beat up on Indian women, you fucking loon.

On a reservation? Got any credible proof?

 

[Katzndogz]

Democrats hate women and don't want intervention when they get bewten up. Unless it's a white guy.