Senator Mark Begich today spoke on the floor of the United States Senate urging his colleagues to pass the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization (VAWA), which is scheduled to come up for a vote later this week. The bill has not been reauthorized since 2006 and would reauthorize existing VAWA grant programs to prevent and respond to violent crimes against women, children, and families and educate individuals about domestic violence and sexual assault. Sen. Begich notes that 3 out of 3 every 4 Alaskans have or have known someone who has experienced domestic or sexual violence and child sexual assault in Alaska is almost six times the national average, underlining the immediate need for this bill.