Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) said she won't support a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act unless it protects American Indian and Alaska Native women.

Murry led efforts to pass S.1925 in the Senate. But H.R.4970, which passed the House, doesn't recognize tribal authority over non-Indians who commit domestic violence on reservations.

“In this country, we should help any victim of domestic violence no matter who they are or who they love,” Murray said at a roundtable that included tribal representatives, The Snohomish County Tribune reported.

Republicans say the tribal court provisions violate the U.S. Constitution.

Get the Story:
Tribes want new powers to prosecute non-Indians (McClatchy Newspapers 8/13)
Murray fights to protect all women in domestic violence act (The Snohomish County Tribune 8/15)

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