ACTION UPDATE - Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Your calls to Congress were a tremendous success for VAWA, FVPSA and VOCA, but there's more we can do!

Thank you for being voices for survivors - Congressional staff have told us how effective your calls are!

You made 1,703 calls to Congress using NNEDV's toll-free number - in just two weeks!  This brought attention to VAWA, VOCA and FVPSA and to the needs of survivors across the country.  Members of Congress are taking note, and your calls will influence their funding decisions.

If you haven't yet sent a letter to your U.S. Senators and Representatives, now is the time to do so!  Members of Congress are making decisions right now about which programs to prioritize in their funding requests - and they literally count every letter they receive when making those decisions.

Sample Letter

THE BACKGROUND

The President's Fiscal Year 2009 Budget proposes devastating cuts to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund, and inadequate funding for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) - the lifeblood of core domestic violence programs.  While his budget is only the first step in a year-long appropriations process, we must make it clear that Congress should reject the President's Budget, fully fund VAWA and FVPSA, and raise the VOCA cap.

Learn more about the appropriations process

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Your actions RIGHT NOW are crucial in order to urge Congress to reject the President's Budget and secure needed funding for essential VAWA programs, FVPSA and the VOCA Fund!

Send Your Senators and Representatives a Letter

Personalize and send (fax or email) this letter to your U.S. Senators and Representatives.  Let's make sure our Members of Congress know that VAWA, FVPSA and VOCA save lives!  Send the letter by March 14, 2008.

The more personal and descriptive you can be in these letters, the better.  Members of Congress are interested in learning about how these federal dollars impact their local constituents.  The letter is designed for local programs and should be printed on organizational letterhead.  If you are an individual, simply delete the references to "programs" and talk about why this issue is important to you and your community.

Find email and fax information for your members of Congress through www.senate.gov or www.house.gov.

Wondering whether you can lobby?  Read this one-page fact sheet!

If you don't have time to send a letter, you can send a brief email.  At www.stopfamilyviolence.org, you can enter your zip code and a form will pop up that you fill out and personalize.  Click "send" and it will go directly to your members of Congress.  Customize it as much as possible for the biggest impact.  Using the "take action" form at www.stopfamilyviolence.org does not count as lobbying, but if you are 100% federally funded you should use your personal email address to send or forward these types of messages.

Meet With Your Members of Congress in Your Home Town

You don't have to come to Washington, DC to talk to your U.S. Senators and Representatives!  Most of them are home every Friday-Monday, as well as during Congressional recesses.  You can schedule a meeting with them or invite them to tour your program or speak at an event.  They and their staff really appreciate getting to meet you - it's a win-win situation, and it has a HUGE impact on behalf of survivors.  Your state coalition can help you navigate the process.  Check out NNEDV's new guide to lobbying in your district.

Forward This Action Alert

Send this Action Alert to your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to call and write.  We need as many people as possible to send letters to Congress over the next three weeks!

THANK YOU FOR ACTING RIGHT NOW TO SAVE LIVES!

THE SITUATION - RECAP

The Fiscal Year 2008 budget passed by Congress in December 2007 included staggering cuts to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund cap.  The impact is now being felt by victim service providers across the country who have lost core funding.  Last week, the President announced his FY '09 Federal Budget.  If enacted, it would be devastating for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.

It proposes:

• A decimating $120 million cut from the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA);
• Maintaining $122.6 million for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), $52.4 million less than its authorized amount;
• Institutionalizing the devastating FY '08 cut of $35 million to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund cap; and
• The ELIMINATION of the balance of the VOCA Fund - a $2 billion loss that would leave us with no VOCA funds in FY '10.

If passed, the President's Budget would catastrophically compound the $35 million cut to VOCA, the probable additional administrative cuts of up to $41.3 million to VOCA, and the cuts to VAWA and FVPSA.  The President's proposal would further endanger victims' lives since the current budget cuts are already forcing programs to scramble to continue to be lifelines for millions of victims across the country.

Learn more about the cuts

Congress must now decide what to include in their Budget.  They must reject the President's proposal and instead increase VAWA and FVPSA and raise the VOCA cap.  Hearing from you heavily influences their decision.  There will be several more times this year when we'll have the opportunity to influence Congress, so stay tuned!

Learn more about the appropriations process

THANK YOU!  YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Your calls and actions in 2007 helped secure a remarkable $17.3 million increase in the VAWA programs and saved the VOCA Fund from elimination!

FY '08 increases in VAWA

Your calls and letters depict the reality of survivors and their advocates, and are the best way to convey how VAWA, FVPSA and VOCA programs save lives, rebuild families and prevent future crimes.  Congressional staff count every call and letter - your voice will be heard!  Thank you for being a voice for victims and survivors of domestic violence!

For details about VAWA and VOCA program, see NNEDV's appropriations briefing book.

For more information, contact Monica McLaughlin, National Network to End Domestic Violence, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202) 543-5566.

Download part of the NNEDV Action Toolkit and get more information