|
Action Needed
Background
All NOW Actions
More on Violence Against Women
|
 |
Urge Your Congress Members to help Stop Cuts to 2005 Anti-Violence Programs!
Action Needed:
Please contact your Representative and Senators today and urge them to support full funding for The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in next year's FY 2005 budget. Congressional leaders are meeting to plan out the final Fiscal Year 2005 Congressional budget numbers, and VAWA funding is once again being cut. In 2000, Congress authorized $729 million for VAWA for the year 2005, yet the current House and Senate are wrangling over $562 million versus $593 million in funding. This means that whichever budget number prevails, services and programs for victims of violence are being short-changed by over $130 million that they desperately need. We must demand that they keep their bipartisan promises and campaign pledges to fully fund the Violence Against Women Act.
Please call your Representative's and Senators' local or DC offices or send an e-mail immediately, urging them to: contact the appropriations negotiators and Congressional leadership, and to speak out and vote against cuts in VAWA.
Background:
Violence in the form of sexual abuse, assault, incest and rape is an urgent issue with devastating consequences for women - and men - and their children and families. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was passed in 1994 and reauthorized in 2000 and funds for its programs and services are administered by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.
Every year Congress has to appropriate money to these cabinet agencies to fund VAWA, and for the last several years they have cut away tens of millions of dollars in vital anti-violence funding.
VAWA provides funding for safety programs on campuses and in communities, as well as critical services and programs for survivors of sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence. In the ten years since we won passage, VAWA has funded an effective safety net for millions of women and their children. Through research grants, education, legal assistance, community initiatives, national and local hotlines, assistance for immigrant families, quality medical treatment and evidence gathering, attentive law enforcement, transitional housing, and more, victims of violence have been helped and in many instances have found healing and have escaped the abuse and rebuilt their lives. In order for these programs to be fully effective they need to be fully funded.
As we approach 2005, when VAWA faces reauthorization, it is imperative that we urge - demand, really - that our Members of Congress stand firm behind their promises and campaign pledges to fully fund VAWA.
Take Action Now!
|
Support NOW by shopping the NOW Store!
for NOW staff picks and all amazon.com items
RSS | Links | Home 
Abortion and Reproductive Rights
Economic Justice
Ending Sex Discrimination
Lesbian Rights
Promoting Diversity & Ending Racism
Stopping Violence Against Women
