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VAWA & VOCA victory in the House

This is a huge increase in funding over FY 08 and even more funding than VAWA and VOCA received last week when the Senate Appropriations Committee passed their CJS bill.

Both the House and the Senate have heard your voices loud and clear! The House bill increases VAWA from $400 million (in Fiscal Year 2008) to $435 million. This includes increases for several key programs:

• The STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) Grant Program was increased to $178 million.
• The Legal Assistance to Victims Program and the Rural Grant Program were both increased to $41 million each.
• Transitional housing received $20 million.
• The Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) received $15 million.
• Other programs, including those addressing children, teens, and native communities, also saw increased funding!

This is a major victory for victims of domestic violence and advocates like you who made it happen.

Want to know more about what these programs will fund in the field?

• Read NNEDV's Appropriations Briefing Book to learn more about VAWA programs.

The bill was passed in the House with a $60 million increase to the VOCA cap, providing $650 million in crucial funds! This is a huge funding increase for VOCA and tells us that Congress paid attention to all of your stories on how devastating the VOCA cuts were.

THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP toward meeting victims needs. These are amazing increases, but we know that these funding levels still do not meet the need in the field. We will continue advocating for further increases to VOCA and VAWA funding, but we must celebrate our victories along the way!

 THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING and THERE WILL BE MORE STEPS IN THE PROCESS before we secure funding for VAWA and VOCA. For more information about the Budget and Appropriations timeline, see NNEDV's Budget and Appropriations Overview.  

But, they need to hear from us now if we want them to keep VAWA and VOCA increases in their final bill!

Thank the House Appropriations Committee!

We are grateful for the leadership of House Appropriators and other Representatives:

• CJS Subcommittee Chairman Alan Mollohan (D-WV)
• CJS Ranking Member Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
• Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI)
• Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
• All members of the House Appropriations Committee
• The many Representatives who advocated for increased funding

Want to know if your Senators played a key role on the Appropriations?

• Visit the House Appropriations Committee website.

• View of the list of Representatives who signed a letter earlier this year requesting increased funding for VAWA and VOCA.

Call your Representative today and say "Thank you!" for supporting VAWA and VOCA funding!

Tell your Representative:

• Your name and the city and state you live in.
• Thank you for supporting increases to funding in the CJS appropriations bill for the Violence Against Women Act and the Victims of Crime Act Fund.
• If you have time, you can tell your Representative how critical VAWA and VOCA funding are for your programs and how these increases will help you meet the needs of victims and families in your community.

 Never called your Representative before? Don't worry, it's easy!

• When you call your Representative's office, your call will be answered by a receptionist. Tell him or her that you want to leave a message for the Representative. The receptionist will take down your message.

• Not sure who your Representative is? Visit the US House of Representatives website to find their names and contact information.

What happens next?

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are working on their Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) bills this week. We will have more news soon, and possibly more actions for you to take. We know it is a time of intense activity and we thank you for all of your hard work!

After these CJS and LHHS bills are passed out of Committee the full House and Senate may vote on them. This could be as soon as next month or as late as the fall. After the House and Senate pass their separate bills, they must be rectified into one final bill that is passed by Congress and signed by the President (who has threatened to veto bills that increase spending beyond his requested budget).

It is possible that Congress will not finish the Appropriations process this calendar year, and will have to finish in February or March. But they need to hear from us now, so that we don't get left out of the process!

Read NNEDV's Budget and Appropriations Overview for an explanation of the Budget and Appropriations processes.

Stay tuned! This is just the beginning!

Funding cycles are more of a marathon than a sprint! If opportunities arise to further increase funding in the House CJS Appropriations bill, or other Appropriations bills in the House or Senate, we will need you to raise your voices for survivors! We'll ask you to call your Representatives and Senators and tell about the desperate need for victim services in your communities.

For more information on the details of the funding, see the full Appropriations Briefing Book, including a color chart (p. 6-7) summarizing the House and Senate bills.

Thank you! Increases to federal funding are only possible with your efforts!

This is an incredible step in the right direction for victims, families, and communities, and it is all thanks to your advocacy with Congress! Thank you again for taking action and contacting your Representative about the importance of VAWA and VOCA funding for your community.

Thanks again for being a voice for survivors! We know how very busy you are saving lives every day. Taking a few minutes to call or write your Member of Congress has a TREMENDOUS impact. Telling your stories helps Members of Congress understand how successful and critical VAWA programs save lives, rebuild families, and prevent future crimes.

For more information, contact Monica McLaughlin at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 202.543.5566, or visit NNEDV's Funding and Appropriations Issue Overview.