Biden Announces New Measures to Combat Domestic Abuse

President Joe Biden unveiled a range of grants and initiatives to combat domestic abuse and support survivors of gender-based violence. The move marks the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. The administration's plans include funding for cyber crime response, firearm removal from abusers, and establishing a new gender-based violence office.

President Joe Biden announced a suite of grants and initiatives to help combat domestic abuse and support survivors of gender-based violence on Thursday, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. "Wasn't too long ago, we didn't want to talk about violence against women as a national epidemic, let alone do something. Society often looked away," Biden told survivors and advocates gathered on the White House's South Lawn.

The Biden administration's initiatives include a resource center run by the Department of Justice to aid law enforcement, attorneys, and victim service organizations in responding to cyber crimes, including non-consensual or revenge porn and online stalking, according to the White House. Additionally, the Department of Justice will expand technical assistance for local law enforcement to remove firearms from domestic abusers and announced over $690 million in fiscal year 2024 grant funding for programs aimed at addressing gender-based violence. Furthermore, the administration plans to establish an office of gender-based violence through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to meet the housing and economic needs of domestic violence survivors.

Biden played a pivotal role in crafting the 1994 legislation, criminalizing physical abuse against women at the federal level and providing government funding for victim services, advocate training, shelters, and prevention education. The law expired under President Donald Trump in 2019 but was renewed when Biden signed a spending bill in 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)