Tribal leaders hailed the passage of S.47, a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act that includes provisions to protect American Indian and Alaska Native women.

The Senate voted 78-22 in favor of the bill. All Democrats, plus 23 Republicans, supported the bill, which recognizes tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians who commit domestic violence offenses on reservations.

"This is violence that cuts deep into the hearts of our community. Addressing violence against any women, including Native women, is a priority of all Americans, and the safety of both Native and non-Native communities should not be marginalized,” National Congress of American Indians President Jefferson Keel said in a press release.

Attention now turns to the House, where Republican opposition kept a similar bill from moving forward last year. Republicans say the tribal jurisdiction provisions are unconstitutional.

"We feel that we are in a position of strength as we move into the House. Even with the success in the Senate, we will have our work cut out for us in the House," Terri Henry, a council representative for teh Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, said in a story published by The Cherokee One Feather.

Get the Story:
Violence Against Women Act passes Senate (The Cherokee One Feather 2/13)
Senate votes to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act (The Washington Post 2/13)
Senate Votes Overwhelmingly to Expand Domestic Violence Act (The New York Times 2/13)
Senate votes to let tribal courts try non-Indians in domestic, sexual assault cases (Cronkite News 2/12)
Bipartisanship: Senate votes 78-22 to renew and expand Violence Against Women Act (AP 2/12)

Related Stories:
Senate keeps tribal jurisdiction provisions in VAWA measure (2/12)
Senate set for vote on VAWA with tribal jurisdiction provisions (2/11)
Editorial: Reauthorize VAWA with tribal jurisdiction provisions (2/11)
Column: Failing to respond to violence against Native women (2/11)
Senate rejects alternative to VAWA without tribal jurisdiction (2/8)
Senate set to vote on VAWA with tribal jurisdiction provision (2/7)
White House backs tribal jurisdiction provisions in VAWA bill (2/5)
Frontline: Closing a loophole in VAWA to help Native women (2/5)
Ryan Dreveskracht: Tribal provisions of VAWA up for debate (2/5)
Opinion: The Violence Against Women Act is on life support (01/28)
Matt Remle: Violence against women, violence against earth (1/25)
Haley Elkins: Media goes silent on the failure to pass VAWA (1/24)
NCAI calls on Congress to pass Violence Against Women Act (01/24)