The Violence Against Women Re authorization Act made it through the House of Representatives by a large margin on Thursday.

In a vote of 286-138, the Reauthorization easily passed as it has in prior years, with the exception of last Congress. Republicans handed a victory to the Democrats with 87 of their members joining the Democrats to pass the bill.

Without adequate backing from its members for the House version, the majority of the Republican House leaders, voted for the Senate version of the bill. The House version failed on a 166-257 vote that found 60 Republicans voting against it.

The Senate bill had softened slightly since last Congress and so made it easier to accept. For example gone is the wording to allow an easing of the Visa process to non-US citizen victims. Although Democrats point out that the Senate Bill offers better protection to non-citizens, LGBT victims and Indians.

Republicans argued that their version was a good or better because of increased auditing of funds as well as insuring more equitable distribution of funds.

Alaska’s senior Senator, Lisa Murkowski, along with junior Senator Mark Begich co-sponsored the Senate bill along with 58 other senators, had also added amendments to the bill before its passage in the Senate. The first of her amendments assured that Metlakatla, Alaska’s only reservation, was included in the provision granting reservation tribes juristiction over criminal domestic violence on reservation lands. The second was wording to restart the Rural Justice Commission . That commission was begun by Senator Stevens in 2004.

Alaska’s Senator Begich said of the passage of the reauthorization, “I’m glad that individuals on both sides of the aisle and in both houses of Congress came together to get behind this absolutely critical bill. The Violence Against Women Act is more than just a bumper sticker – it’s a bill that will help combat violence and domestic abuse in Alaska and across the country. There is simply no higher priority than keeping our families safe and I’m pleased to say that today we took steps to do just that.”

Athough the Act expired in 2011, all of its grant programs have been fully funded and it has been operating fully.

The Reauthorization now goes to the Whitehouse for the President’s signature.