What is John McCain's position on domestic violence?

Question: What is John McCain's position on domestic violence?

Answer: John McCain's support of legislation combating domestic violence - specifically the landmark Violence Against Women Act - is disputed by various sources. According to PolitiFact.com, "McCain had supported the original bill, which included the Violence Against Women Act, when it passed the Senate 95-4....Also, McCain has supported the Violence Against Women Act when it has come up for reauthorization. In 2000, McCain joined a unanimous vote on a crime bill that included the Violence Against Women Act. In 2005, he praised the law when he introduced a companion bill to provide protections for Indian women."

However, Heather Tirado Gilligan and Nikki Jones, writing for the Huffington Post, state that "McCain voted against funding for VAWA as recently as 2007. It was McCain's second vote against VAWA, as he opposed the first version of this landmark legislation in 1994." They link to the legislation in question.

PolitiFact.org clarifies the issue: "On Aug. 25, 1994...a crime bill that included the Violence Against Women Act....McCain opposed....but he opposed it not because of the Violence Against Women provisions, but because it included extra spending that McCain considered unrelated to crime and it had a provision that would have banned so-called assault weapons."

Although John McCain has supported VAWA legislation, his voting records indicate his ongoing opposition to financing VAWA. Momocrats notes, "McCain has repeatedly voted against funding to fight and prevent domestic violence, including a $9 million increase for the Office of Violence Against Women. McCain even opposed authorizing grants to aid children who have witnessed domestic violence." They cite the legislation that McCain voted down to substantiate their statements.