Hartford, Ct. – On the 22nd anniversary of the signing of the Violence Against Women Act, the Connecticut Democratic Party today called out the Republicans running for Congress in Connecticut and demanded to know how they would vote on the act’s re-authorization.

“Over the past 22 years, the Violence Against Women Act has protected thousands upon thousands of women from violence and saved countless lives,” said Connecticut Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto. “In 2013, however, many Republicans in Congress worked to block the law’s re-authorization. This is absolutely unacceptable and raises the question: Would the Connecticut Republicans running for Congress stand with the many women who have been protected by the Violence Against Women Act or with their GOP colleagues by attempting to block this commonsense law’s re-authorization?”

Democrats specifically question whether 5th district GOP congressional candidate Clay Cope – who has previously said he doesn’t care about reproductive rights because, “I don’t have daughters. I don’t have a wife. I’m not faced with that challenge and question” – would vote for or against the law’s re-authorization.

“Clay Cope in particular needs to give Connecticut women an honest answer,” said Connecticut Democratic Party Deputy Executive Director Alynn Woischke. “Throughout this campaign he has not been forthright on almost any issue, and his previous rhetoric on women’s reproductive rights has been disconcerting. A majority of Republicans voted against the bill in 2013, so I hope he will answer honestly whether he would support or oppose re-authorizing the Violence Against Women Act.”