Both Refuse to Support Violence Against Women Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/13/2014
ANCHORAGE — Alaskans should be alarmed that sitting Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell and former Attorney General Dan Sullivan refuse to support the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and showed a questionable understanding of the important legislation when asked point blank.
In a TV interview when asked if they would vote to reauthorize VAWA, Treadwell and Sullivan both fell flat on their faces, failing to support historic bipartisan legislation which has protected Alaska families and women since it first became law in 1994.
“After months of campaigning, Mead Treadwell and Dan Sullivan still refuse to look Alaskans in the eye and tell them where they actually stand on critical issues facing Alaska, like important federal law that addresses unacceptable domestic violence rates,” said Susanne Fleek-Green, campaign manager for Alaskans for Begich.
Mark Begich is a co-sponsor of the reauthorization of VAWA and has fought to include additional protections for Alaska Natives. Begich has also been a leader on the Safe Families and Villages Act to increase public safety in villages across Alaska to protect against domestic violence.
Recently, Begich was successful in pushing the Obama administration to make sure victims of domestic violence receive the full range of health care benefits they deserve, which includes preventative services for domestic abuse.
TPM: Top Two Alaska GOPers Stumble On Domestic Violence Question
By Daniel Strauss
August 13, 2023
Neither of the two lead candidates in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Alaska would say whether they would have voted for or support reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Both former Attorney General Dan Sullivan and Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, in interviews with MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt, gave rather bumbling answers in response to questions about how they would vote on the Violence Against Women Act if they were in the Senate.
“You know I’ll look at it, I know there were some provisions that had some controversy but I’m going to be very focused on those issues the way I was as attorney general here,” Sullivan said.
“But you’re not sure one way or the other that you would have voted for it and whether you’ll vote to reauthorize it,” Hunt quickly interjected.
“Well I need to look at the whole act,” Sullivan said. “One of the things I’ve done in my career is actually read legislation before I vote for it unlike most of the Senate Democrats like [Sen. Mark Begich] who clearly voted for Obamacare without reading it. I was —before I sued on Obamacare I sat down with a small team of attorneys and we read it!”
Lt. Gov Mead Treadwell seemed even more reluctant to support the legislation. .
“I had some problems with the act itself and let me just tell you we have done what we can here to help bring more resources to bear. When Washington tries to impose solutions on a state without talking to people who live there, I think you’ve got a bit problem.”
“And that problem was big enough that you might have voted against it?” Hunt said.
“Yes,” Treadwell said.
In February, CNN’s John D. Sutter reported that the incidences of rape in Alaska are roughly triple the national average. Business Insider has also noted that 37 percent of Alaskan women say they have been the victims of sexual violence.
The Alaska Republican primary for Senate is on August 19. The winner will face Begich in the general election. Polling has shown Sullivan as the general frontrunner in the primary.
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