House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiHoyer: House should vote on COVID-19 aid — with or without a bipartisan deal Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at Supreme Court McCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment MORE (D-Calif) called on Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) to bring a new, long-term Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Sheila Jackson LeeGrand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death Hillicon Valley: Murky TikTok deal raises questions about China's role | Twitter investigating automated image previews over apparent algorithmic bias | House approves bill making hacking federal voting systems a crime House approves legislation making hacking voting systems a federal crime MORE (D-Texas) to the floor before the current law expires on Sept. 30.



In a letter sent to Ryan on Monday, Pelosi argued the short-term extension that Congress is expected to pass is insufficient and called on the GOP to bring Jackson Lee’s bill to the floor.

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“Republicans’ decision to include only a short-term VAWA reauthorization in the must-pass minibus spending bill is nothing short of an abdication of our responsibilities to women in our country,” she said in her letter.

She urged the GOP to “immediately begin working with Democrats to pass the VAWA Reauthorization Act swiftly and on a bipartisan basis.”

Ryan's office said they hope to work on a bipartisan solution following the passage of the short-term extension.

“As we work toward a larger agreement, an extension is necessary to ensure there is no lapse in the program. We are confident our Democratic colleagues will join us in ensuring that doesn’t happen," Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong told The Hill.

Pelosi blasted the six-month extension introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik Elise Marie StefanikRepublicans cast Trump as best choice for women The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Pence rips Biden as radical risk GOP women offer personal testimonials on Trump MORE (R-N.Y.), arguing it doesn’t do enough to provide protections for certain communities that she feels are better addressed under Jackson Lee's proposed legislation.

“As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to ensure that every woman, in every part of our society, can live free from violence,” the letter reads.



“Yet, the continued refusal over many years of House Republicans to extend VAWA’s critical protections to include vulnerable communities, particularly Native American, immigrant and LGBTQ communities, represents a blatant dereliction of that duty.”