Craziness on Capitol Hill: Bad VAWA Passes, DC once again denied a voice in its abortion laws

05.17.12 | Jacqueline M.

Last night, Rachel Maddow spent a good portion of her show discussing the latest in our nation’s capital, particularly as it related to the continued attacks on women’s health and rights.

Yesterday, rather than pass the overwhelmingly bipartisan Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act, the House voted on its own controversial version. Instead of seeking to expand protections, the House bill puts victims of domestic violence in greater danger by excluding vulnerable populations from critical protections. In fact, their version of the bill was so outrageous that 320 organizations came out in opposition to the legislation. The lone supporter of this bad bill? The National Coalition for Men.

But that’s just the beginning…. Today, House Republicans are focusing on Washington, DC, where Arizona Representative Trent Franks is pushing for a ban on abortion in the city that he clearly does not represent. The worst part? He’s refusing to let DC’s only elected representative testify on behalf of her constituents. And to make things even better, the vice-chair of the subcommittee holding a hearing on this legislation is none other than Congressman Mike Pence, who of course led the effort last year to defund Planned Parenthood.

Maddow invited DC’s Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on her show last night to discuss the issue.

Watch the clip below!