On MSNBC’s “Martin Bashir” on Friday, MSNBC contributor Karen Finney said the GOP has given the green light for men to commit violence on “certain kinds of women.”
Finney was reacting to the House GOP’s hesitance to renew the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), legislation that would allow federal penalties for certain acts of domestic violence.
Republicans have raised jurisdictional concerns about how VAWA would apply to crimes committed on Indian reservations, as well as objections about protections the bill would offer same-sex couples and illegal immigrants.
“The Republicans in Congress … essentially are sending a message that says it’s OK to beat up certain kinds of women: Native-American women, women who are in this country illegally,” Finney said.
Finney argued that, in the wake of the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide, it is easily to lose sight of domestic violence issues and focus entirely on gun control. (RELATED: Chiefs player kills girlfriend, then shoots himself at Arrowhead Stadium)
“I mean, they don’t like some of the particulars in this legislation that addresses real problems,” she said. “But again, Touré, as I have heard you talk about this earlier this week, I agree with the gun -control piece, but I think we do a disservice to our culture and our society when we don’t see that all of this is connected.”
However, Doug Heye, speaking on behalf of Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office, assured The Daily Caller that Cantor and Vice President Joe Biden are working toward a solution to get VAWA passed.
“Majority Leader Cantor and the vice president have had a conversation seeking to find a solution,” Heye said in an email Friday afternoon. “Since then, we have continued to work in good faith with the vice president’s staff, as well as Senate Democratic staff to work on a solution that gets to the root of the problem, namely, violence against women. Our staffs continue to work towards a compromise on those multiple provisions outstanding in the hopes of finding a solution.”