Yingling Calls on Congress to Reinstate Violence Against Women Act

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. – To keep members of the community safe, state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, is sponsoring new legislation that urges the United States Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which expired in 2018.

“Protecting the health and safety of women should transcend party lines and be something that everyone agrees on,” said Yingling. “Unfortunately, extremists like Donald Trump and others in Washington are blocking the act from being reinstated to score cheap political points. Women’s safety is not something that should be used as a pawn in political games, which is why I am asking Congress to reinstate the act as soon as possible.”

Yingling is co-sponsoring House Resolution 632, which would call on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. The act, which was initially passed with bipartisan support in 1994 and has been reauthorized multiple times, addresses various types of violence against women, including domestic and sexual assault. The act also created the Office of Violence Against Women, which offers a variety of grants aimed at stopping violence against women and supporting women who are survivors of violence.

Since entering the General Assembly, Yingling has fought to protect the rights and safety of women. He backed the Reproductive Health Act, which affirmed that women have the ultimate say in decisions over their own bodies. He also sponsored House Bill 834, which will help decrease the wage gap between men and women.

“There are no excuses for Congress not to reinstate the Violence Against Women Act,” Yingling said. “The health and safety of my constituents is something that I take very seriously, and I hope that the lawmakers in Washington share that sentiment and put aside partisan squabbles and reauthorize the act.”

For more information, please contact Rep. Yingling’s constituent service office at 847-231-6262 or RepSamYingling@gmail.com.