Here is the issue:

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this is National Call-In Week to indicate your support of  programs which combat domestic violence, rape and sexual assault. We hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity to advocate for the Violence Against Women Act of 1998 ("VAWA," H.R. 3514, S. 2110 and other related bills). Time is running out for this bill and we urgently need your help in pressuring members of the Senate.

Unless the U.S. Senate takes action before adjournment in mid-October, many effective anti-violence programs will expire and the Violence Against Women Act of 1998 will be a dead letter.  The House of Representatives has already passed a number of important provisions, amounting to about a billion dollars worth of funds for over five years.  The House bill also re-authorizes VAWA programs like STOP grants and grants to encourage arrest, provisions strengthening the Parental Kidnaping Protection Act and many other key elements.  We want to encourage the Senate to not only approve these provisions, but also to accept a number of improvements being offered by Senators Biden, Specter, Murray and Wellstone.  In addition, several appropriations measures single out certain Violence Against Women programs for budget slashing.  Please urge the Senate to restore funding for all VAWA programs to the fiscal year 98 level and to provide funding for those programs, like Judicial Training, which have never been funded.

How you can help:

Please contact your senators immediately to urge them to pass the Violence Against Women Act of 1998.   Encourage them to not only approve the provisions that were passed by the House (parts of H.R. 3514 or "VAWA II"), but to add provisions from other Senate-sponsored anti-violence bills.  Emphasize the fact that violence against women is one of the top concerns of women who vote and that unless the Senate takes action now, good programs will expire and others will have their budgets cut.   We know that members do not want to return home to tell constituents that we have lost ground in our national effort to combat violence against women.
You may also want to give the same message to your U.S. Representative and to call the White House and ask the President to take leadership on this issue.

The main number for Congress is (202)-224-3121 and then ask the operator to connect you with your member's office.  The White House main number is (202) 456-1414.   Connect to http://www.visi.com/juan/congress for fax and email addresses.