Rep. Suzan Del Bene swearing in ceremony

Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA1) delivered today.  Republicans in Congress are ready to take our economy over the sequester cliff, but she remained steadfast to her goal of getting the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funded.  When I got the e-mail this morning from her announcing this significant victory, I cried.  Then, I did a “Yippee Skippy!” dance in my apartment.

Rep. DelBene did what I knew she would do in Congress.  She used her brilliance and phenomenal diplomatic skills to reach across the aisle and achieve bipartisan support:

I hope that Congress will continue this spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship to address our nation’s other pressing challenges.

I ran for Congress to work on legislation like this and I’d like to stay in Congress to continue making progress for our country.

She also encouraged Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) to employ her considerable political muscle and influence in the Senate to get behind VAWA funding.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)

The GOP decision to step aside and let the Senate bill pass came after the party’s poor showing among women in last fall’s election and Democratic success in framing the debate over the Violence Against Women Act as Republican policy hostile to women.  Obama won 55 percent of the women’s vote last November.  Republican presidential candidates haven’t won the women’s vote since 1984, when Ronald Reagan held a 12-point lead over Walter Mondale among women.

Rep. DelBene defeated one of the 14 bad boys in the Republican party who minimized and condoned violence against women.

We voted them out, and VAWA has been re-authorized!