LaMalfa votes no in losing effort

First District U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa voted no last month on the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act.

The act, originally passed in 1994, was approved by the Senate in January and by the House of Representatives on Feb. 28. It got the thumbs up from all 199 Congressional Democrats who were joined by 87 House Republicans, including 10 from California. Every woman in Congress also voted to reauthorize the act.

LaMalfa (pictured) and three other California Republican representatives, including 4th District Rep. Tom McClintock, voted against the legislation, which extends protection to gay, bisexual or transgender victims of domestic abuse, who in the past have run into barriers in getting victim’s services when abused.

Conservative Christian groups opposed the bill because it prohibits programs that receive federal funding from discriminating against gays.