Violence Against Women Act for five years. It would use gender-neutral terms in references to gender-bias crimes in the underlying law. It also would establish new mandatory minimum sentences of up to 15 years for certain domestic violence crimes. It would grant the U.S. Marshals Service the authority to issue administrative subpoenas to locate unregistered sex offenders. It would strike from the bill provisions to grant tribal law enforcement certain new powers to enforce restraining orders. The measure was rejected by a vote of 37-62 (D 0-51; R 37-9; I 0-2). According to ThinkProgress, “Although the full details of Grassley and Hutchinson’s watered down protections for domestic violence victims have yet to be released, it is likely that they will map Grassley’s previously stated opposition to providing greater support for LGBT, undocumented, and tribal victims of domestic violence. The Hutchison/Grassley amendment will likely leave out some victims who face particularly harsh discrimination. If Senate Republicans embrace Grassley’s earlier objections to reauthorizing VAWA, they will show that they are willing to tolerate a certain amount of domestic violence by ignoring certain victims.” [Vote 86, 4/26/12; ThinkProgress, 4/26/12] XXXX Voted For Weak Republican Version Of VAWA, Which Nearly Every Republican Female Senator Voted Against. In February 2013, XXXX voted in favor of a Grassley, R-Iowa, substitute amendment that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act for five years. It would authorize up to $25 million for federal judges and prosecutors in tribal areas to prosecute domestic violence cases and be available for civil protection orders. The substitute would set new requirements for U visas given to crime victims willing to help law enforcement agencies in the investigation or prosecution of the crime. It also would allow immigration officials to interview the accused abuser in determining whether to grant legal status to immigrant victims. It would allow repeat drunk drivers to be deported and establish mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes, including forcible rape, aggravated sexual assault and possession of child pornography. The substitute was rejected by a vote of 34-65 (D 0-53; R 34-10; I 0- 2). [Vote 13, 2/7/13] DOMESTIC VIOLENCE XXXX Voted To Eliminate Government Programs Addressing Domestic Violence. In February 2013, XXXX voted in favor of Coburn, R-Okla., amendment no. 15, that would direct the Justice Department to eliminate or consolidate its programs and use as much as 75 percent of the resulting savings to reduce a backlog in DNA evidence testing from cases involving rape, sexual assault and other crimes. It would redirect any leftover savings for debt reduction. According to the The Hill, “The Senate rejected an amendment to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that would have required the consolidation of programs addressing domestic violence. Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-Okla.) amendment would have consolidated ‘duplicative’ programs within the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It failed on a 46-53 vote.” [Vote 17, 2/12/13; The Hill, 2/12/13] PAY EQUITY XXXX Voted To Block Paycheck Fairness Act. In June 2012, XXXX voted against a motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the Reid, D-Nev., motion to proceed to the bill that would require that employers show that any pay disparity is job-related and not based on gender. The motion was rejected by a vote of 52-47 (D 50-1; R 0-46; I 2-0). [Vote 115, 6/5/12]  Boston Globe Headline: “Senate Republicans Block Paycheck Fairness Act, As Battle Over Women’s Issues Shifts To Ballot Box.” “Senate Democrats lost a key vote Tuesday to expand rights of working women to challenge employers on pay discrimination, but the issue will likely linger until at least the November elections as women’s issues take a prominent role in hotly contested races across the country.” [Boston Globe, 6/5/12]  NPR Headline: “Senate Republicans Block Paycheck Fairness Act.” [NPR, 6/5/12]  XXXX Voted For GOP Alternative To Raid Health Care Reform Funding To Extend Low Student Loan Interest Rates. In May 2012, XXXX voted in favor of Alexander, R-Tenn., substitute amendment no. 2154 that would extend, for one year, a 3.4 percent interest rate on certain federally subsidized, undergraduate 325