US President Barack Obama signs the Violence Against Women Act on March 7, 2013 in the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC as US Vice President Joe Biden (L), Sen. Patrick Leahy (R) D-VT, Nancy Pelosi D-CA , members of Congress and others look on. The law expands protection in domestic cases, including expanded protection for victims who are assaulted on tribal lands. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN/Getty Images.
JOSH LEDERMAN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says an expanded anti-violence bill is a "victory" for advocates and survivors of domestic violence.
Obama is speaking at a signing ceremony for the bill, which extends domestic violence protections.
The law strengthens those protections for victims who are attacked on tribal land. It also makes clear that lesbians, gays and immigrants should have equal access to the law's programs.
The president says the original law "changed our culture." Obama praised Vice President Joe Biden, who wrote the bill in 1994, for making violence prevention one of his top priorities.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Associated Press