The House Judiciary Committee approved an update to the Violence Against Women Act on Wednesday, overcoming objections from Republicans who said the legislation is straying too far from what the law is supposed to be.
The bill cleared the panel on a 22-11 vote and heads to the House floor, where leaders say it will get a vote early next month.
The legislation would expand gun controls by denying firearms purchases to accused abusers in dating relationships, on par with the law for married couples. It would also reaffirm jurisdiction of Indian tribal courts to hear cases involving non-Native American suspected abusers.
The 1991 law expired last month after Democrats blocked an extension in the omnibus spending bill. They said they wanted to work on updates.
The GOP will likely bring forward a competing bill before the end of March.
Republicans objected to their version Wednesday, questioning the expansion of gun controls and other key elements of the Democrats’ vision for the law.
They pushed back against tribal jurisdiction, arguing that could impinge on constitutional rights of the accused.
“This sets us down a dangerous path,” Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Wisconsin Republican, said.
A bigger fight is brewing over transgender individuals’ access to the law, its resources and its protections.
Rep. Debbie Lesko, Arizona Republican, proposed an amendment that would allow shelters to take steps in situations where a woman or child objects to being grouped with someone who identifies as transgender.
Democrats said there was no evidence that transgender individuals pose a threat to others in a shelter. They said Republicans were trying to undo protections written into the law the last time it was overhauled in 2013.
“Transgender women are not biological males, they are transgender women and that is simply a reality,” Mr. Nadler said.
Rep. Karen Bass, California Democrat and co-sponsor of the legislation, ultimately agreed to work with Ms. Lesko to craft more specific language that would ensure women’s privacy concerns are adequately addressed, but said they must accommodate the transgender community.
One area that seemed to draw bipartisan support was addressing female circumcision. Rep. Louie Gohmert, Texas Republican, offered an amendment to promote assistance for victims of female genital mutilation.
He ultimately withdrew the proposal to rework it, but Mr. Nadler said they’ll include the language in the bill when it goes to the floor.
Though the law expired last month, grant money is still flowing. But advocates worry organizations and programs relying on those grants will run out of funds if the bill isn’t reauthorized soon.
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