Senate Republicans Unveil Violence Against Women Act That Hurts Tribes

Sen. Joni Ernst is taking heat for introducing a revised Violence Against Women Act that would weaken protections for Native Americans. “Placing paternalistic restrictions on tribal courts in the name of ‘due process’ is nothing more than a disguise for prejudice.” - Mary Kathryn Nagle of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center Most alarmingly, the GOP bill would leave Native women, who face appallingly high levels of violence, less protected from their abusers by weakening tribal courts and infringing on tribal sovereignty, according to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. “Placing paternalistic restrictions on tribal courts in the name of ‘due process’ is nothing more than a disguise for prejudice.” The Republican bill would also waive tribes’ sovereign immunity by creating a civil rights cause of action against the tribe for any alleged rights violation. “The provisions in Senator Ernst’s bill would prevent tribal courts and tribal governments from protecting the most vulnerable, our women and children.” Perhaps aware that tribes wouldn’t be happy with some of these provisions, Ernst rolled separate legislation supported by tribes into her VAWA bill as a sweetener. “We are deeply disappointed by the VAWA legislation introduced by Senator Ernst.” - Teri Gobin, chairwoman of the Tulalip Tribes Ernst’s bill isn’t likely to get any Democratic support or even unanimous Republican backing.