FACT SHEET: Standing Up for Women’s Civil Rights, 20 Years After VAWA

“The original law had three simple goals: make streets safer for women; make homes safer for women; and protect women’s civil rights.” – Senator Biden, 1990

“In its totality, the Violence Against Women Act was the first federal law that directly held violence against women as a violation of basic civil rights and fundamental human dignity.” –Vice President Biden, 2013

Nearly 20 years ago, the Vice President first brought to national attention the need to end domestic violence and sexual assault by championing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  Today, recognizing the 20^th Anniversary of VAWA, the Vice President is taking two significant actions as part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to put an end to this senseless violence.

First, the Vice President is announcing a Summit on Civil Rights and Equal Protection for Women, which will bring together legal scholars, state and local prosecutors, and the Department of Justice to find a way to let survivors sue their abusers in federal court—which VAWA allowed but the Supreme Court rejected.

Second, the Vice President’s office is releasing a comprehensive report detailing how far we’ve come since VAWA first passed while noting there are many challenges ahead.  

Twenty years after VAWA first became law, it has helped change a prevailing culture from a refusal to intervene to a responsibility to act – where violence against women is no longer accepted as a societal secret and where we all understand that one case is too many.  There are still many challenges to overcome, and this week’s anniversary is a reminder of the important work ahead.

The report, “1 is 2 many,” shows the marked progress in VAWA’s twenty year existence:

• Lives saved: Yearly domestic violence rates dropped dramatically—by 64% from 1993 to 2010.  From 1993 to 2012, the number of individuals killed by an intimate partner declined 26% for women and 48% for men.
• Money saved: VAWA has helped save the country billions of dollars.  One study estimated $12.6 billion in net averted social costs in the first 6 years alone.
• Justice gained, via higher prosecution rates: Evidence collected by VAWA-funded specialized police units is more likely to be useful for prosecution—meaning higher rates of prosecution, conviction, and sentencing.  And specialized domestic violence prosecution programs generally translate to the highest rates of successful prosecution.
• Better services: Victims who receive comprehensive services and advocacy like those funded by VAWA are more likely to achieve their goals of safety, healing, and economic security than women not receiving such support and services.
• Improved tools: Forensic evidence collection has been improved by special sexual assault nurse examiner programs and communities that are testing old rape kits are apprehending serial offenders.

Still, as the report shows, many challenges remain:

• Rates of violence are too high: We know this violence is preventable—and zero-tolerance must be our aim.
• Young women are at risk: If one in five young women suffered from a disease, we as a nation would find a solution to that problem; but when it comes to violence against young women, we have known this statistic for 20 years.
• Bias still exists in the justice system: No one says that men who are robbed or slashed went to the wrong place or wore the wrong clothes.  At the workplace or in schools, the law calls these stereotypes by the name of sex discrimination and inequality; so they should bear this name in our criminal justice system, too.
• Health and social costs are high: Violence in the home may beget more violence in the home and the streets; this violence distorts the lives and minds of children; and resulting health costs are enormous, even though small investments in preventing this violence can have enormous rewards.

The need for a new look at a civil rights remedy:

In calling for a renewed national effort, the Summit on Civil Rights and Equal Protection for Women will highlight the connection between sexual assault (as well as sexual violence, harassment, and discrimination) cases and civil rights violations.  The remedy is important for several reasons:

• Sexual discrimination violates the Civil Rights Act.  The Supreme Court has long held that sex discrimination, including sexual violence, is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

• Despite that, the persistence of violence against women remains and the state justice system’s response can be discriminatory.  We must bring together legal scholars, state and local prosecutors, and the Department of Justice to revisit the civil rights remedy that VAWA included, but the Supreme Court rejected. 
• Only a federal civil rights remedy can provide equal protection throughout the nation.  When state justice systems fail to respond to this violence, it violates equal protection.  
• For example, the Department of Justice has done laudable work finding patterns of sex bias in the handling of rape cases in Montana and domestic violence cases in cities. 

• The Department’s findings included: failure to investigate domestic violence cases, declining to prosecute non-stranger rape, gender-based assumptions and stereotypes influencing responses to reports of sexual assault, and using “blaming” questions and stereotypes in victim interviews.

The Obama Administration’s Record on Violence against Women: Highlights:

• In 2011, Vice President Biden kicked off the 1 is 2 Many campaign focusing on the high rates of dating violence and sexual assault experienced by teens and young women.  Through 1 is 2 Many, the National Dating Abuse Helpline expanded to digital services, and new mobile apps were created to help prevent sexual assault and support survivors.
• In 2011, the Department of Education sent new guidance to schools, colleges, and universities about their obligations under federal civil rights law to respond to and prevent sexual assault.
• Leading by example, in 2012 President Obama directed federal agencies to develop policies to address domestic violence in the federal workforce and to assist survivors.
• In 2013, Vice President Biden and Attorney General Holder announced a new initiative to prevent domestic violence homicides.  Using evidence-based lethality assessment tools, the initiative identifies victims at high risk and links them with immediate services.
• On March 7, 2013, President Obama signed the third reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act creating new protections for LGBT victims and Native American women.  The legislation also expands housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, and directs resources towards improving the criminal justice response to sexual assault.
• On January 22, 2014, President Obama established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.  On April 29, the Task Force released its first report with new recommendations for schools to prevent and respond to sexual assault and new steps by federal agencies to improve enforcement of federal laws.  The work of the Task Force is ongoing.
• Every year, the Justice Department administers more than $400 million to VAWA grant programs around the country.

FACT SHEET: Build America Infrastructure Investment Summit

Convening U.S. and Global Infrastructure Leaders to Catalyze Growth in the U.S. Infrastructure Market

Investing in 21st century American infrastructure is an important part of the President’s plan to build on the progress our economy is making by creating jobs and expanding opportunity for all hardworking Americans. That’s why earlier this summer the President launched the Build America Investment Initiative, a government-wide effort to increase infrastructure investment and economic growth by engaging with state and local governments and private sector investors to encourage collaboration, expand the market for public-private partnerships (PPPs), and put federal credit programs to greater use.    

Today, as part of the Build America Investment Initiative, the Obama Administration will host the Infrastructure Investment Summit at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. At the Summit, over 100 leaders from industry, finance, philanthropy, and local and state governments will convene with senior Administration officials to highlight the growth in the U.S. infrastructure market, build partnerships, and develop strategies for increasing investment in sectors like transportation, water, telecommunications, and energy.  Highlights include:

• The Summit brings together investors intending to deploy more than $50 billion in U.S. infrastructure. The Summit brings together global investment and advisory firms, dedicated infrastructure investors, international asset managers, utilities and construction companies, and pension funds collectively representing more than $50 billion of projected private capital investment in the U.S. infrastructure market over the next five years.

• The federal government, local and state governments, philanthropists and others announce investments to expand infrastructure development. The Obama Administration and other stakeholders are announcing a series of investments and commitments at the Summit, including:
  • A $950 million loan for the Orlando, Florida I-4 Ultimate highway project from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the largest loan ever completed for a public-private partnership from the TIFIA program. 
  • $518 million in loans for electricity infrastructure from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • The creation of a new partnership for infrastructure innovation by the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.
• The Department of Transportation and the Transportation Investment Center announce new tools and policies. This July, President Obama launched the Build America Transportation Investment Center at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The Center has already taken significant steps forward to advance best practices and promote innovative approaches and tools.

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The President has been clear that we need to do more to improve our roads, bridges, water systems, electrical grids, and other vital infrastructure systems. That means increasing public support for infrastructure and making investments for the long-term. But it also means encouraging partnership between the public and private sector; and right now there is a real opportunity to put private capital to work revitalizing U.S. infrastructure.

Today’s Summit highlights some of the important steps that leaders from the public and private sectors are taking together as part of the Build America Investment Initiative.

Investors intending to deploy more than $50 billion in investment in U.S. infrastructure

The Summit brings together global investment and advisory firms, dedicated infrastructure investors, international asset managers, utilities and construction companies, and pension funds collectively representing more than $50 billion of projected private capital investment in the U.S. infrastructure market over the next five years. The California State Teachers Retirement System, for example, is announcing a new multi-billion dollar global syndicate to invest in US infrastructure. Ullico, a labor-owned insurance and investment company, will invest $300 million in the coming five years exclusively in domestic projects. These investments complement previous public commitments this summer like CoBank’s new $10 billion rural infrastructure fund. The diversity of financial players gathered at the Summit is evidence of the growing momentum of the U.S. infrastructure sector – and the enormous potential that leaders in U.S. and global finance see in the U.S. market.

Other private sector participants include:

• Global investment and advisory firms such as Blackrock, Blackstone, Carlyle Group, CIBC, Goldman Sachs, KKR, Morgan Stanley, and Oaktree Capital;
• Infrastructure investors including Brookfield Asset Management, CoBank-Capital Peak Asset Management, IFM Investors, JPMorgan Asset Management Infrastructure Fund, Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, Meridiam, and Ullico Infrastructure;
• International asset managers such as the Development Bank of Japan, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and Swiss Re;
• Utilities and construction companies including American Water, Fluor, and Walsh Group;
• Pension funds including the California State Teachers Retirement System, the Employment Retirement System of Texas, the Illinois State Board of Investment, and the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Fund.

The federal government, local and state governments and philanthropists announcing investments to expand infrastructure development

In addition to a growing pool of available private capital, the federal government, local and state governments, and philanthropists are announcing a number of investments and commitments to support U.S. infrastructure investment.

• I-4 Ultimate TIFIA Loan. On September 4, DOT signed a $950 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for the I-4 Ultimate project, a 21.1 mile roadway through Orlando, Florida. The project reconstructs and expands the capacity of 21.1 miles of Interstate 4 through downtown Orlando, replacing or improving 15 interchanges, 71 existing bridges, and adding 4 new express toll lanes. This is the largest TIFIA loan ever completed for a public-private partnership. The project benefited from engaging with DOT early in the process and using a new, streamlined PPP process that includes a standard term sheet.
• $518 million in loans for electricity infrastructure. Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is announcing $518 million in loans for 22 electric projects around the country.
  • More than $23 million of the funds are targeted for smart grid improvements, which better manage and increase efficiencies in our nation’s electric system.
  • The loans announced today will build or improve more than 5,600 miles of electrical line in rural areas. 
• The creation of a new partnership for infrastructure innovation. Today, the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation are announcing an initial joint investment of over $1 million to support innovations in U.S. infrastructure. The new partnership will expand the infrastructure pipeline by incubating innovative public private collaborations, including:
  • Support the research, design, and launch of a predevelopment fund for job-creating, resilient and other cutting-edge projects, proving new infrastructure innovations and demonstrating the benefits of increased predevelopment funding;
  • Provide seed capital for promising regional collaboration models, including regional infrastructure exchanges, that make it easier for localities to attract private finance; and
  • Support research and design work on how to most effectively implement and scale these and other solutions.

  Recognizing that well-designed infrastructure projects have multiple benefits, the initiative will advance intertwined social, environmental, and economic goals. The partnership will also work closely with the private sector to ensure alignment with the investor community. 

• $20 million for transit project planning. Today, DOT’s Federal Transit Administration is announcing $20 million in competitive funds for comprehensive planning associated with new projects seeking funding under FTA’s Capital Investment Grants Program. The new Pilot Program for Transit Oriented Development Planning supports complex planning work that complements major transit projects by examining ways to improve economic development and ridership, enhance multimodal access to transit stations and enable mixed-use development in station areas.
• Municipalities highlighting long-term investments in water infrastructure. Today, 30 cities and public water utilities are announcing plans to collectively invest $233 billion in operating and improving their municipal water systems over the next ten years. The 30 city consortium is also releasing a study today that highlights the benefits of water infrastructure investments for job creation and economic growth.

DOT and the Build America Transportation Investment Center making new tools available

This July, President Obama launched the Build America Transportation Investment Center at DOT. The Center is a one-stop shop for state and local governments, public and private developers, and investors seeking to utilize innovative financing strategies for transportation infrastructure projects. The Center is already helping to advance best practices and strategies to support U.S. infrastructure, building on recent Administration successes. Among other measures, the Center and DOT are:

• Promoting tools and resources for innovative finance. The Build America Transportation Investment Center is providing a range of educational and technical assistance resources to support project sponsors who are considering PPPs and other forms of innovative finance. Today, the Department is releasing the first in a series of new model contract provisions to serve as a guide for highway toll concession PPP contract agreements. A subsequent guide in this series will address availability payment concession PPP contract agreements. The Department is also publishing a series of new “Project Highlights” that provide a plain language account of how project sponsors assembled the funding and financing necessary to complete public private partnerships.
• Supporting PennDOT rapid bridge replacement. DOT recently approved measures to support the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in pursuing replacement of more than 500 small bridges under a single, innovative PPP that bundles the projects to facilitate private investment. The project will benefit from both a $1.2 billion private activity bond allocation, as well as targeted flexibility with respect to NEPA implementation that will enable the developer play a significant role in ensuring compliance with environmental requirements.
• Improving the permitting process.  DOT continues to take steps to improve its permitting processes. For example, the Department has recently developed and deployed eNEPA, a secure, online collaboration and project development tool to make the environmental review process faster and more efficient. In addition, DOT is working to finalize a rulemaking that will address the use of ‘categorical exclusions’ and programmatic environmental analysis to speed up permitting for certain projects.

Readout of the President’s Call with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

President Obama spoke today with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the need for greater international assistance to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  President Obama thanked the Secretary-General for recent steps taken by the United Nations to coordinate the global response and pledged additional U.S. assistance to bring the outbreak under control.  Both leaders also agreed on the need for a broad coalition to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and to continue humanitarian assistance to civilians under threat in Iraq. Additionally, they discussed the importance of an effective monitoring mechanism for the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and reviewed goals for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, including at the Secretary-General’s Climate Summit and the United Nations Security Council session on foreign terrorist fighters that the President will chair.

Readout of the President’s Call to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq

The President called Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi today to congratulate him and the Iraqi people on the approval of a new Iraqi government.  The President applauded the efforts of Prime Minister Abadi and other Iraqi leaders in forming a new, broad-based government, and underscored the need for the United States and Iraq to continue working closely with the international community to build on recent actions to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  The Prime Minister expressed his commitment to work with all communities in Iraq as well as regional and international partners to strengthen Iraq’s capabilities to fight against this common enemy.  The President and the Prime Minister agreed on the importance of having the new government quickly take concrete steps to address the aspirations and legitimate grievances of the Iraqi people.  Both leaders expressed their support for a strong, strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq, and the President underscored his commitment to coordinating closely with Prime Minister Abadi and his government as we advance our strategy to combat ISIL.