Topeka ? A new television ad for Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins touting her support for the Violence Against Women Act is igniting criticism, but the Jenkins campaign stands behind it and is accusing critics of distorting the record.

The ad, titled “Every Nine Seconds”, claims that Jenkins, “stood up to her own party to champion the Violence Against Women Act to make women safer, and she won.” It has been running on Topeka television stations and in other media markets in the 2nd District for the past week.

That law, originally passed in 1994, was reauthorized in 2013 after a long legislative battle. Among other things, It establishes programs that fund investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, as well as support services for victims.

It also imposes federal penalties for repeat sex offenders and establishes a federal “rape shield law,” which is meant to prevent offenders from using victims’ past sexual conduct against them during a rape trial.

The ad prompted an article by Igor Bobic on HuffingtonPost.com accusing Jenkins of misleading the public and noting that Republicans in Congress had blocked the reauthorization for nearly two years.

The Wakefield campaign picked up on that article and called for Jenkins to retract the ad.

“Instead of standing up to her party, Congresswoman Jenkins was leading the partisan charge in Congress to delay this vital bill by over 500 days,” Wakefield said in a news release. “This issue is too serious for Congresswoman Jenkins to try and play these sorts of misleading and partisan politics: she should apologize for her attempt to mislead voters and take this ad off the air.”

Amid partisan debate in Congress, the law actually expired briefly in 2011, although funding for the programs continued because appropriations are handled separately from reauthorization.

During congressional debate in 2012, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed a version of the bill that included specific protections for American Indian women, LGBT people, undocumented immigrant women and other “under-served” populations.

The Republican-controlled House, however, passed its own version that did not include those additional programs, and the two chambers remained deadlocked for several months.

The Wakefield campaign argued that Jenkins voted numerous times against motions to “call the previous question,” a parliamentary move that would cut off all debate and further amendments and force a vote on the bill.

But Jenkins’ campaign manager said the issue was more complicated than that.

“I understand the concept of compromise and voting for policy, not party, is difficult for someone as politically driven and partisan as Ms. Wakefield to understand,” he said, “but the facts are two months after Congresswoman Jenkins joined the leadership table, with her support, VAWA was law.”

The new law does include those provisions for immigrant, American Indian and LGBT victims.