| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today expressed her strong
opposition to the appointment of Nancy Pfotenhauer and Margot Hill to the
National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women, and called their
selection “mystifying as well as inappropriate and counterproductive
to the goal of ending violence against women.” Schakowsky called
on Attorney General John Ashcroft to “rescind their appointments.”
In
a letter to AG Ashcroft, Schakowsky wrote, “The Independent Women’s
Forum (IWF), represented by Pfotenhauer and Hill, has gone on record numerous
times in active opposition to VAWA and other initiatives aimed at combating
domestic and sexual violence. IWF literature states that VAWA is
‘based on ignorance, non-facts, and wishful thinking about the power of
the federal government to curb violence between intimate partners.’
Such a view would prevent Ms. Pfotenhauer and Ms. Hill from supporting
innovative and proactive solutions to addressing and ending violence against
women.”
She
added, “It is clear that advocates with vast experience and knowledge
of the issues of domestic and sexual violence were not consulted in the
appointment process, as the vast majority of these advocacy organizations
oppose Ms. Pfotenhauer’s and Ms. Hill’s appointments.”
Schakowsky
concluded, “It is absolutely critical that we have strong and effective
laws and programs to assist victims of such crimes and to work toward eliminating
this violence. Given their history and record on such issues, Ms.
Pfotenhauer and Ms. Hill are clearly inappropriate to serve on the committee
responsible for advising the government on how to implement those laws
and programs.”
Last
session, Congress reauthorized VAWA. Included in the legislation
were two Schakowsky measures to expand legal protections to battered immigrant
women and increase funding for transitional housing for victims feeling
domestic violence. |
