The Anti-VAWA Company The Kochs Keep

September 14, 2015

This week, we mark the 21st anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, a law that provides much needed funding for states, law enforcement, and nonprofit organizations for services provided to victims of violence and for the prosecution of offenders. Since its passage in 1994, VAWA has been successful in improving enforcement efforts against domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault, providing housing protection for victims, and improving educational programs to prevent crime.

But instead of standing up for our nation’s most vulnerable women, the Koch network has propped up candidates who side against expanding protections for women from sexual assault and abuse as well as pushed to strike down parts of VAWA.

Through their Koch Industries PAC, and other arms of their network, the billionaire Koch brothers have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to members of Congress who voted against VAWA:

In 2014, the Kochs’ AFP awarded Salmon their “Leader of Liberty” award. Since 2013, Salmon has received $9,000 in contributions from Koch Industries.

But there’s more. Two arms of the Koch empire, the Institute for Justice, which the Kochs provided seed money for, and CATO, which was founded by Charles Koch and currently counts David Koch as a board member, were leaders in the push to strike down part of VAWA.

In 1999, the groups teamed up for a Supreme Court amicus brief in an attempt to strike down part of VAWA. Outside of the brief, IFJ and CATO were outspoken on the case. Outside of the brief, both groups were very vocal in criticizing VAWA, including IFJ insisting VAWA “was never about women’s rights.”

The Kochs invite themselves to be judged by the company they keep. Through their more than generous backing of candidates who refused to support the Violence Against Women Act as well as their groups’ leadership in the fight to roll back protections for victims of domestic violence, the Kochs have sent the message to women across the country that they don’t care about women’s health care and economic interests.

Paid for by American Bridge 21st Century Foundation