House passes expanded Violence Against Women Act
Hawaii candidate for the US House of Representatives Tulsi Gabbard speaks on stage with other female members of Congress during day one of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 4, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The US House of Representatives passed an expanded version of the Violence Against Women Act on Thursday, after rejecting an alternate GOP version.
According to Talking Points Memo, the vote was 286-138 in favor of the expanded version of VAWA that was approved earlier by the Senate.
The bill will now head to President Barack Obama's desk for approval.
The version approved by the Senate faced an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled House over expanding protections to Native American, LGBT and immigrant victims of domestic violence, The Huffington Post noted.
Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma, and a leading voice on tribal issues, said the GOP version of the bill did "not adequately recognize sovereignty" and failed to give tribal courts "the tools they need to combat violence against women."
More on GlobalPost: House Republicans clear path to renew the Violence Against Women Act