McCain Voted Against Biden Law Requiring Free Rape Exams

By GottaLaff

Originally posted at The Jed Report.

Like presidential candidate, like vice presidential candidate:

In 1994, John McCain voted against legislation -- pushed through Congress by Joe Biden -- that helped put an end to the practice of charging rape victims for sexual assault exams.

Twisted as it may sound, charging victims for a forensic exam was a real problem. For example, as AMERICAblog has documented (and the media is now reporting), when Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the town charged rape victims for the exams.

Biden's legislation required that state, local, and Indian governments provide the rape exams to victims free of charge as a condition of receiving federal funds under the Violence Against Women Act. In 2000, Alaska finally passed state legislation in order to qualify for federal funding.

McCain not only opposed Biden's legislation, but also has voted against funding it as recently as October 2007.

About that sexism, J Sid.

McCain voted against final passage of Biden's legislation. He had supported an earlier version, but on the question of actually making the legislation the law of the land, McCain joined 35 conservative Republicans (and 2 Democrats) and said "no" to ensuring that all women had access to rape exams free of charge.

Here's the text of the rape exam provision in Biden's legislation:

H.R.3355: Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

And here's another link to McCain's vote against the legislation and to his October 2007 vote against funding it.

Compassionate conservatism went into cardiac arrest at least 8 years ago, and McCain/Palin haven't so much as heard of CPR. Somebody please call for help, stat. You'll find it under "O".