Angelina Jolie Meets With White House Officials To Urge Renewal Of The Violence Against Women Act

Ted Johnson
·3 min read
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UPDATED, Wednesday 9:10 AM PT: Angelina Jolie met with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and other senior White House officials to talked about the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act and other issues.

In a visit to the White House Briefing Room, she told reporters of the need for reforms in domestic violence cases and how women and children are treated by judicial and law enforcement officials.

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“It is a health crisis, what is happening, and it is going to be solved if we look at it as helping families,” she said.

At once point, she stood behind the lectern as NBC News’ Peter Alexander said to her, “So much smaller than you think, right?”

Jolie laughed and said, “Yeah, but really interesting. It feels just like it should be.”

Psaki wrote on Twitter, “Met briefly this morning with the tireless and committed #AngelinaJolie this morning to talk about the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act and the importance of continuing to fight for women, children and families around the world.”

A spokesperson for Jolie said that she also was meeting with officials at the Justice Department. On Tuesday, Jolie was spotted at the Capitol following a meeting the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“In her meetings she will talk about the importance of VAWA reauthorization, FBI reforms, judicial training and health equity including non-biased forensic evidence collections,” Jolie’s rep said. The rep didn’t say whether her meetings included President Joe Biden, who sponsored the Violence Against Women Act when he was a senator and it was signed into law in 1994.

PREVIOUSLY: Spotted at the Capitol on Tuesday: Angelina Jolie.

The actress and activist met with senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, to urge the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and to advocate for the rights of women and children.

Her rep issued a statement from her in which she said, “I’m in DC leading up to the VAWA reauthorization, FBI reforms, and other important protections and rights. I’ve met with experts for years now, learning about best practices including non-biased forensic evidence collection, and advocating for improvements. I’m grateful for these timely and valuable meetings with Senators, especially focused on provisions for children’s health.”

The Violence Against Women Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and sponsored by then-Senator Joe Biden, included provisions for federal level prosecution of interstate domestic violence and sexual assault crimes, as well as support for shelters, rape crisis centers and community organizations. It was last reauthorized in 2013 but expired in 2019.

Jolie is seeking provisions to better protect children during domestic violence and during the judicial process.

Schumer tweeted, “Thank you to Angelina Jolie for coming in today to talk about the fight to reauthorize VAWA in the Senate and how we can help support research on diagnosing injuries from domestic violence and child abuse to help survivors.”

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