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Speak Out Against Efforts to Weaken
the Violence Against Women Office
Action Needed:
Please take a few minutes to help keep the issue of ENDING violence against women at the top of our nation's policy agenda. This week we need to speak out against Attorney General John Ashcroft's efforts to weaken the status and the mission of the Office on Violence Against Women.
In flagrant opposition to Congressional intent, Ashcroft's Department of Justice recently announced that it intends to keep the Office on Violence Against Women as a subdivision within a subcomponent of the Department. According to the administration's plan, the Office on Violence Against Women will remain in the Office of Justice Programs, where it will be subject to restructuring that will further weaken its mission and purpose. Please ask your Senators and House member to call upon Attorney General Ashcroft to implement the Office on Violence Against Women as a separate and distinct office within "main" Justice as required by law. Send an e-mail to your senators and House member today.
Background:
Last year Congress passed the Department of Justice Reauthorization Bill (PL 107-273) and the President signed this bill into law. As part of this Act, Congress created a permanent, separate and distinct Office on Violence Against Women with a presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed director.
The law clearly intends to elevate the Office from its current status as a subset within the Office of Justice Programs. Senator Biden (D-Del.), author of this provision, stated on the Senate floor before the vote on the conference report: "Rather than be one of many offices subsumed in a larger bureau or office, the Violence Against Women Office will now be its own, separate and distinct entity within the Department of Justice. This provision means that the Office will be removed from its current location in the Office of Justice Programs, and become its own free-standing entity."
Advocates must insist that this elevated status is critical to furthering strong leadership on the part of the federal government towards our common goal of ending violence against women. Furthermore, in its current placement under the Office of Justice Programs, which commands only grant programs, the Violence Against Women Office's ability to manage these important policy functions is restricted.
The law also requires that the director report to the Attorney General. Contrary to congressional intent, the Department of Justice has stated that they do not intend to require direct reporting authority to the Attorney General. This unwillingness to implement the law must be addressed by Congress.
The office is charged with overseeing implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA includes not just grant programs, but also important and life-saving civil and criminal provisions that require the full attention and focus of a strong, separate office.
The Department of Justice is thwarting the will of Congress and signaling a retreat from its leadership role on ending violence against women by this unnecessary and damaging move.
What can we do?
Send an e-mail to your senators and House member today. Ask that they call upon Attorney General Ashcroft to implement the Office on Violence Against Women as a separate and distinct office within "main" Justice as required by law, and that this office be positioned to carry out the strong and important leadership role Congress intended. Please pass this alert along to your local programs and supporters. Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121.
For more information, contact the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
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