This week marks an unfortunate anniversary; three decades have passed since the problematic Violence Against Women Act was put into effect. The act, which was born within the Justice Department’s ‘Office on Violence Against Women,’ has been a questionable utilization of over $4 billion in taxpayer’s hard-earned money. The objective of the act was to use these monies to formulate strategies for reducing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other violent actions.
The White House has made claims suggesting that domestic violence rates had fallen by 67% between 1993 and 2022 due to the implementation of this act. However, it’s worth noting the lack of solid evidence to back up this assertion. Speculating this decrease purely on this act is a hasty conclusion to draw, considering other potential contributors that could play a part in the decline of these problematic behaviors.
Despite its questionable success rate, the Violence Against Women Act was fully supported by Joe Biden, who played a significant role in developing and implementing the legislation. Alarmingly, claims also circulate that Biden used to hold hearings regarding the plague of domestic abuse as far back as 1990. However, it is essential to remember the context in which this bill was initially proposed. In the 1990s, such a bill was met with widespread controversy and required multiple years before passage.
Highlighting the poor implementation of this legislation, victims often found it difficult to resultantly prosecute their abusers. Even some of the law’s potential supporters, those who would typically align with progressive ideologies, were skeptical about its potential implications. They worried that its enactment could lead to an alarming increase in prison population, raising legitimate concerns about its practical execution and potential repercussions.
Despite these concerns, the bill was pushed forward, leading to the creation of a domestic abuse hotline. This hotline proved to be a mixed blessing. While it claims to have fielded more than 7 million calls since its inception, it fails to reflect the underlying issue that such a high number of calls indicates: the persistent problem of domestic violence and abuse in society despite the Act’s provisions.
Some, like Nourse, naively claim that this legislation is the crowning achievement of Biden’s over 50 years in public service. However, considering the amount of controversy the bill incurred and the vast expenditure of taxpayer dollars with arguably minimal demonstrable impact, this view appears to be more of a minority opinion rather than a widely held consensus.
It’s noteworthy that this week, there are discussions on Capitol Hill about ‘modernizing’ the act. However, the leadership of these discussions is not at all reassuring, spearheaded by the Democratic Women’s Caucus and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are known for their controversial and radical stances.
The Caucus held a bipartisan discussion on the harm caused by deepfake pornography and virtual sexual assaults. A significant revelation occurred during this discussion when Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez disclosed an appalling truth: she had been a recipient of non-consensual deep fake pornography, indicating a pressing issue plaguing the political scene. The situation is severe, with technology being honed to a point where these illegitimate videos can be almost impossible to recognize.
However, the discussion on the issue of deepfakes was unfortunately led by celebrities like actress Sophia Bush, whose professional background does not inherently qualify her as an expert on this complex technological issue. It appears as though the Democratic Women’s Caucus believes that having popular personalities leading the conversation will make their stance more convincing, reducing the discourse to populism.
Simultaneously, at the White House, over 1,000 sexual assault survivors and activists were planned to gather, pointing towards the harrowing reality of such abuse. It is worth noting though, that the event was orchestrated primarily to bask in the shallow glory of Joe Biden’s ‘legacy.’
Furthermore, the White House is planning to announce a host of new grants, including funding intended to fight against cybercrime relating to violence against women. However, the administration’s track record of judicious utilization of public funds is questionable, casting doubt on whether this will be another case of tax dollars being squandered.
Throughout the event in question, the celebration being framed around Biden’s ‘legacy’ seems to be engineered to distract from the glaring shortcomings throughout the enactment and execution of the Violence Against Women Act. The millions of calls fielded by the abuse hotline, alongside the controversy it incited upon its conception, throws a shadow of uncertainty on the effectiveness and worth of this act.
Ultimately, despite the considerable amount of public dollars invested, the real impact of Biden’s Violence Against Women Act has been questionable. Whether the advancements occurring within the realms of reducing domestic violence and sexual assault rates can be directly attributed to it, remains a contentious topic up for debate.