Meet the 22 Republicans who voted against
protecting women from beatings.

Now the House battle for the Act awaits. GOP 2016 hopeful Mario Rubio opposed it because of “new provisions that could have potentially adverse consequences.”

For whom?

The 22 Senate Republicans who voted against reauthorizing the popular Violence Against Women Act this week include a trio of presidential aspirants, a pair of tea party rookies and the chamber's most high-ranking GOP members.

This is clearly a vote against women, and every American voter should keep these ignorant politicians in mind when any of them needs a vote. Write in Sandra Fluke, who inadvertently has done more for American women than any of these bozos.

Democrats were most surprised by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's vote against reauthorizing the law, which still passed the Senate by a wide margin.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, both eying the White House, also voted against the bill.

Reauthorization of the law, first passed in 1994, now heads to the House, where swift passage is far from guaranteed.

House Republicans killed the legislation last year, though Democrats have now dropped some of the provisions that drew GOP objections, including expanded visas for abused immigrants.

And some moderate Republicans in the House have begun to push for action.

"It's now time for the House to follow suit and send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law," President Obama said in a statement.

Rubio is the early favorite in the GOP's 2016 sweepstakes, and as Republicans try to recover from the "war on women" moniker Democrats pegged to them last year, it's easy to picture Rubio's vote coming back to bite him.

In a carefully worded statement, Rubio, who delivered the GOP's official response to the State of the Union just hours later, voiced support for the overall law but said he couldn't support reauthorization because of "new provisions that could have potentially adverse consequences."

How many women will suffer at the hands of their abuser just so Rubio gets his name out. There you go...your ass has been effectively covered. Creep!

Specifically, he cited federal mandates on spending decisions that he prefers be left to the states, and a provision that would leave Americans open to prosecution by tribal authorities for crimes against women on Native American reservations.

Why not edit parts of the bill you find objectionable and let it go forward?

"I believe we should have re-authorized the existing Violence Against Women Act that has helped reduce the annual incidence of domestic violence by more than 50 percent, among other successes," Rubio said.

"I also continue supporting the work being done at the federal, state and local levels to combat domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking."

Are these 22 misfits just too precious?

Democrats were positively gleeful that Rubio, recently pegged as "The Savior" of the GOP by Time magazine, had cast a vote that could hurt him in 2016.

"Looks like he's not a savior to women," former Obama campaign strategist Stephanie Cutter said, according to Politico. "Regardless of what his future may be, this vote will follow him."

Ya think?

The 2016 hopefuls who voted against the bill were joined by heavy-hitters like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, and tea party rookies Ted Cruz of Texas and Tim Scott of South Carolina

Democrats made clear in the moments after the bill's passage in the Senate that they're prepared to make Republicans pay a political price if the legislation stalls in the House.

"One of the lessons from this election is that women are going to stand up," Minnesota Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar said at a news conference.

"They're going to stand up for themselves, and when people start messing around with questioning rape and questioning victims and talking about things in ways that women find offensive, the women are going to respond."

Can't they just use their secret powers?
 
The other Republicans who voted against the bill are Sens. John Barrasso (WY), Roy Blunt (MO), John Boozman (AR), Tom Coburn (OK), Mike Enzi (WY), Lindsey Graham (SC), Chuck Grassley (IA), Orrin Hatch (UT), James Inhofe (OK), Mike Johanns (NE), Ron Johnson (WI), Mike Lee (UT), Jim Risch (ID), Pat Roberts (KS), and Jeff Sessions (AL).

Well done, guys! See ya next election!