Although it had bipartisan support in the Senate, House GOP members resisted the Violence Against Women Act, not even bringing it up for a vote in 2011.
Many GOPers rejected language that included the protection of Native American, immigrant, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims of abuse. All 138 votes against reauthorization came from Republicans including Iowa's Steve King, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, five Representatives from Georgia, and Tea Party darling Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.
What is the problem with VAWA? Not only does it provide funds for investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women (and men, actually) because domestic violence is a human rights and public health concern. The problem for the GOP is that the current bill offers protections for victims that they don't personally like, such as undocumented immigrants and homosexuals. And it doesn't help that the original bill from 1994 was drafted by then-Senator Joe Biden!
How VAWA passed on Feb 28 is somewhat of a mystery, but unfortunately, it does not indicate a sea change in GOP politics. The Tea Party faction continues to be an unruly mess for Speaker Boehner and, sadly, for the rest of America as sequester cuts seem to be inevitable.
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