Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement on the twentieth anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

The Violence Against Women Act has not only put more resources toward confronting domestic violence, but it has also contributed to changing attitudes and breaking the silence. Although there has been a real decline in domestic violence in the 20 years since this law passed, we are reminded on a daily basis that the problem is far from solved. In towns and cities across our state and around the country, women are still victimized by family members and partners. The shocking and outrageously slow response of the NFL to the Ray Rice case shows that we are still a long way from a true zero-tolerance attitude toward domestic violence. And here in Maine, nearly half of all assaults—and half of all murders—are domestic-violence related. So we have made progress, but we still have a long way to go.