Our nation’s system of laws is rooted in the notion that rights are God-given, and these rights cannot be revoked at the whim of government bureaucrats.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), advanced by then-senator Joe Biden in 1994, assumes the opposite: that fundamental protections and guarantees of the Bill of Rights are subject to negotiation and “reinterpretation.”

SAVE has just released a report, “An Assault Upon our Civil Rights,” which documents how VAWA has rolled back a broad range of civil liberties that most Americans take for granted: Equal protection under law, the presumption of innocence, due process, the right to freedom from undue government interference, and many more.

For 12 fundamental rights, the SAVE report identifies the relevant Constitutional amendments, pertinent Supreme Court rulings, and an estimate how many persons whose rights are removed each year. The SAVE report can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/wp-content/uploads/SAVE-Assault-Civil-Rights.pdf

Right now Congress is negotiating over 2 competing versions of the VAWA reauthorization: S. 1925, sponsored by Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and H.R. 4970, sponsored by Rep. Sandy Adams (R-FL). Some believe neither version will be enacted into law this year, which means Congress will have a second bite at the apple in 2013.

Stay tuned as this sentinel Congressional debate continues over the fate of our civil liberties.