United States v. Lopez (1995)

FRQ Prompt

In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). One provision of the act allowed victims of gender-motivated violence to sue their attackers for damages in federal court. Christy Brzonkala, a student at Virginia Tech, sued her alleged attackers under this act. The defendants argued that Congress did not have the authority to pass the law because it dealt with crime and safety—areas traditionally left to the states. The federal government argued that violence against women significantly affected the national economy. The Supreme Court struck down the provision, holding that gender-motivated crimes of violence are not, in any sense, economic activity and thus do not fall under federal authority.