Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Shelle" <>]

Please forward widely! 
 

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 our 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: 
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/SampleLetter-LocalPrograms-FY09.doc<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/SampleLetter-LocalPrograms-FY09.doc>

 

 

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 the 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 here:  
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/BudgetandAppropriationsOverview.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/BudgetandAppropriationsOverview.pdf>

 

 

Scroll to the bottom of the email for more information.

 

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) the letter below 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.

 

Sample Letter: 
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/SampleLetter-LocalPrograms-FY09.doc<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/SampleLetter-LocalPrograms-FY09.doc>

 

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 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<http://www.senate.gov/> or 
www.house.gov<http://www.house.gov/>    

 

Wondering whether you can lobby? Read this one-page fact sheet:  
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/Lobbying_NonprofitStatus.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/Lobbying_NonprofitStatus.pdf>
 

 

If you don't have time to send a letter, you can send a brief email.  At 
www.stopfamilyviolence.org<http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org/> you can enter 
your zip code and a form will pop up that you can 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.

 

Wondering whether you can lobby? Read this one-page fact sheet:  
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/Lobbying_NonprofitStatus.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/Lobbying_NonprofitStatus.pdf>
  

 

Using the "take action" form at 
www.stopfamilyviolence.org<http://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 emails.

 

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 our new guide to lobbying in your district: 
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/LobbyingGuide.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/LobbyingGuide.pdf>
 

 

Forward This Email

 

Send this email to your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to 
call.  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 the 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 Services 
and Act (FVPSA) $52.4 million less than its authorized amount;  

 

*     Institutionalizing FY '08's devastating $35 million cut to the Victims 
of Crime Act (V0CA) 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 this country. 

 

Learn more about the cuts here: 
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/FY08Recap.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/FY08Recap.pdf>
 

 

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! 

 

Click here for more information on the appropriations process  
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/BudgetandAppropriationsOverview.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/BudgetandAppropriationsOverview.pdf>

 

THANK YOU! YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  

 

Your calls and actions in 2007 helped secure a remarkable $17.3 million 
increase in VAWA programs and saved the VOCA Fund from elimination!  Click 
here to see the increases in VAWA for FY '08 
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/AppropsChartFY08_Omnibus.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/AppropsChartFY08_Omnibus.pdf>
  


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 
survivors!  

 

For details about VAWA and VOCA programs, see our appropriations briefing 
book 
http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/BriefingBookFY09.pdf<http://www.nnedv.org/docs/Policy/BriefingBookFY09.pdf>

For more information, contact Monica McLaughlin, National Network to End 
Domestic Violence, at 
<mailto:>
  or 202-543-5566.   

 

Check out http://www.nnedv.org/funding<http://www.nnedv.org/funding>  to 
download parts of the NNEDV Action Toolkit and for further information.