Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Aumua Amata highlighted passage of the Plaskett-Radewagen Amendment during the reauthorization effort of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Congresswoman Amata is the lead Republican co-sponsor of this bipartisan amendment introduced by Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-USVI) with the unified backing of all five island Territory Members of Congress, to change the funding formulas of two programs.

Specifically, the Plaskett-Radewagen Amendment will increase the territories’ dollar share for the Transitional Housing Assistance Program and the Sexual Assault Services Program. The change makes the funding formulas for these two programs in the territories more equal with that of the States.

Rep. Plaskett and Rep. Amata were joined by Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), Rep. Michael San Nicolas (D-Guam), and Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (I-CNMI).

“We have an ongoing priority to improve funding formulas across federal programs for more equal treatment with the states,” said Aumua Amata. “I’m pleased our bipartisan Amendment will improve funding for two programs, and is now part of the important effort to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. I want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, for her effective leadership on this along with all the Insular Representatives.”

On Thursday, the House passed a Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill. This legislation has a 25-year history of providing various grants, services, and programs dedicated to protecting people from abusive situations, including providing court training, transitional housing, temporary havens and much more.

Although there has been debate over specifics each time, the overall goals of VAWA have a history of broad bipartisan support, and the Act has been reauthorized several times with bipartisan majorities.