Urgent Calls Needed: Violence Funding May Be Cut

October 27, 2003

Action Needed:

Please call the senators or representatives listed below, if you are a constituent of any one of them. (If there is a problem with a phone number listed for the senator or representative you need to call, go to these links to look up their numbers: House and Senate.)

Congressional staff are working on the final fiscal year 2004 appropriations as you read this. It is crucial that we all take the time to send a quick message about the importance of full funding for work addressing violence against women. Congress has a very tight budget this year and must make cuts. It's up to us to make sure they understand that victim services have taken enough cuts already.

Even if your senator or representative is not on the list below, please take a few minutes to call his or her office and ask them to send the following message to the appropriators:

Your message:

I am very concerned about the survival of services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The field is experiencing such severe cuts on the state level that the capacity of local programs to meet the existing needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking is threatened—to say nothing of the future, growing needs of victims of these crimes.

We know that these are tough budget times. We know that Congress has the tightest budget constraints in a decade. But we cannot turn any more women and children away and back into violent situations.

We are counting on our representatives in Congress to protect the most vulnerable among us. As the Congress works on its omnibus spending bill, we ask for the following:

• No budget cuts now! Keep the funding for the Violence Against Women Act and HHS shelter services programs at Fiscal Year 2003 levels.
• Increase the Domestic Violence Hotline appropriation to the President's recommendation of $3 million to support their increasing call loads.
• Provide an additional $15 million for the new Transitional Housing Program.
• Fund the Victims of Crime Act at $675 million so that programs can maintain current services.

Please Call Your Senators Today:

Sen. Ted Stevens—Alaska, Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee (202)224-3004
Sen. Robert Byrd—West Virginia, Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Committee (202) 224-6472
Sen. Judd Gregg—New Hampshire, Chair, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary (202) 224-3324
Sen. Ernest F. Hollings—South Carolina, Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary (202) 224-6121
Sen. Arlen Specter—Pennsylvania, Chair, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (202) 224-4254
Sen. Tom Harkin—Iowa, Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (202) 224-3254
Sen. Pete Domenici (N.M.) (CJS) (202) 224-6621
Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) (CJS) (202) 224-2541
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) (202) 224-5922
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Colo.) (CJS) (202) 224-5852
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) (CJS) (202) 224-6521
Sen. Daniel Inouye (Hawaii) (CJS) (LHHS) (202) 224-3934
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Md.) (CJS) (202) 224-4654
Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.) (CJS) (202) 224-4242
Sen. Herbert Kohl (Wis.) (CJS) (LHHS) (202) 224-5653
Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) (CJS) (LHHS) (202) 224-2621
Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.) (LHHS) (202) 224-5054
Sen. Larry Craig (Idaho) (LHHS) (202) 224-2752
Sen. Mike DeWine (Ohio) (LHHS) (202) 224-2315
Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.) (LHHS) (202) 224-5744
Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.) (LHHS) (202) 224-3542
Sen. Mary Landrieu (La.) (LHHS) (202) 224-5824

Please Call Your Representatives Today:

Rep. Bill Young (Fla.), Chair, House Appropriations Committee (202) 225-5961
Rep. David Obey (Wis.), Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee (202) 225-3365

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary
Rep. Frank Wolf (Va.), Chair (202) 225-5136
Rep. Jose Serrano (N.Y.), Ranking Member (202) 225-4361
Rep. Harold Rogers (Ky.) (202) 225-4601
Rep. Jim Kolbe (Ariz.) (202) 225-2542
Rep. Charles Taylor (N.C.) (202) 225-6401
Rep. Ralph Regula (Ohio) (202) 225-3876
Rep. David Vitter (La.) (202) 225-3015
Rep. John Sweeney (N.Y.) (202) 225-5614
Rep. Mark Kirk (Ill.) (202) 225-4835
Rep. Alan Mollohan (W.Va.) (202) 225-4172
Rep. Robert Cramer (Ala.) (202) 255-4801
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (R.I.) (202) 225-4911
Rep. Martin Olav Sabo (Minn.) (202) 225-4755

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education

Rep. Ernest Istook (Okla.) (202) 225-2132
Rep. Roger Wicker (Miss.) (202) 225-4306
Rep. Anne Northrup (Ky.) (202) 225-5401
Rep. Randy Cunningham (Calif.) (202) 225-5452
Rep. Kay Granger (Texas) (202) 225-5071
Rep. John Peterson (Pa.) (202) 225-5121
Rep. Don Sherwood (Pa.) (202) 225-3731
Rep. Dave Weldon (Fla.) (202) 225-3671
Rep. Mike Simpson (Ind.) (202) 225-5531
Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.) (202) 225-4131
Rep. Nita Lowey (N.Y.) (202) 225-6506
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.) (202) 225-3661
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (Ill.) (202) 225-0773
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (R.I.) (202) 225-4911
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif.) (202) 225-1766