Brady Applauds White House for Increasing State Resources to Disarm Domestic Abusers Amid 30th Anniversary of VAWA

On 30th Anniversary of Violence Against Women Act, Biden-Harris Administration Announces Latest Efforts to Combat Gender-Based Firearm Violence

Washington, D.C., September 12, 2024 – Brady, one of America’s oldest gun violence prevention organizations, joins the Biden-Harris administration in celebrating the lifesaving progress of the Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA) and commends their latest actions to further reduce gender-based gun violence and address the prominent role of firearms in domestic violence situations.

The new resources, which mark the 30th anniversary of the VAWA, will provide state resources for trauma-informed-training, technical assistance, and technology access for local law enforcement to better address gender-based violence as well as expand funding to proactively remove firearms from domestic abusers. The actions will also strengthen implementation and enforcement of provisions in the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that prohibit individuals convicted of misdemeanor crimes in dating relationships from purchasing or possessing firearms for five years.

The presence of a gun in the home increases the risk of homicide for women by 500% and on average, one woman is killed every 16 hours by a husband or male dating partner with a gun. Underserved populations across the country — including Black and Indigenous women, women younger than 20 years old, pregnant people, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community — face disproportionately higher rates of domestic violence involving guns.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

“Everyone is safer when abusers don’t have access to firearms. President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to show their commitment to ending gender-based violence, which they understand necessitates addressing the deadly role of firearms. These latest actions build on a foundation of efforts that have improved safety for survivors of domestic violence, like the reauthorization and strengthening of VAWA. It is inspiring that we continue to see the Biden-Harris administration take meaningful steps to address America’s gun violence epidemic and keep our communities safe.”

“We cannot ignore the deadly nexus of firearms and gender-based violence. VAWA was signed into law less than a year after the bipartisan Brady Bill and, together, they have led to countless lives saved. Brady worked with partners to reauthorize VAWA and continues to work with the White House in pushing forward evidence-based solutions to reduce gender-based firearm violence. We know the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, will be critical in ensuring that these latest funds are accessed by states and implemented in a way that will save lives. Brady stands ready to help with that effort.”

Earlier this year, Brady’s Chief of Policy and Programs Christian Heyne spoke at a roundtable with the Biden-Harris administration to discuss solutions to the devastating impacts of gun-related domestic violence.

Brady President Kris Brown, Chief Policy and Programs Officer Christian Heyne, and Vice President of Organizing Shikha Hamilton will be in attendance as President Biden delivers remarks at the White House today to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the signing of VAWA.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, actions to address the role of firearms in gender-based violence have included:

• Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which strengthened protections for domestic violence survivors at risk of experiencing gun violence.
  
  

• Signing of the Bipartisan Safe Communities Act (BSCA) which addressed the “boyfriend loophole” by expanding federal prohibitors barring people convicted of certain domestic violence crimes from possessing a gun, including dating partners with a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. BSCA clarified that the term “dating relationship” includes a “relationship between individuals who have or have recently had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.
  

• Creation of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to ensure a coordinated response to gun violence, including domestic violence, across federal agencies and to ensure that funds for state-based domestic violence prevention efforts can be accessed and used effectively.