ACTION ALERT - Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Please Forward
Contact Your Senators to Sign-on to Letters for Full Funding of VAWA
and FVPSA!
Thanks to your hard work last week, 123 Representatives signed-on to
the letter asking for full funding for the Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA). And in the Senate, your calls helped to ensure that Senator
Biden's amendment to increase the Budget allocation for VAWA by $100
million was passed by unanimous consent!
Now there's another perfect opportunity to advance VAWA funding right
now - - Senators can sign-on to a letter for full funding of VAWA and FVPSA.
We need you to call both your Senators and urge them to sign-on to this
letter, which will be sent to the key funding decision-makers soon!
The Background
Senator Biden (D-DE) and Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) have come forward
to champion funding for VAWA and FVPSA programs.
The deadline for Senators to sign-on to their letter is April 2, 2008.
Now is the time to contact your United States Senators and urge them to
sign-on in support of full funding for VAWA and FVPSA programs in FY 2009.
This is a critical time in the appropriations process!
It is crucial that Members of Congress hear from their constituents right
now about why these programs are important. As they weigh their funding priorities, we must help them understand that funding for domestic and
sexual violence is very important to their constituents!
Last year, 34 Senators signed onto a similar letter -- click here to see who
from you state signed a letter last year:
Click here for more information on the budget and appropriations process.
What can you do?
Call both your Senators today!
For contact information on your Senators, visit
www.senate.gov or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Tell your Senators:
Your name and the city and state you live in.
"Please sign-on to the letter to support FULL FUNDING for the Violence
Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
in the FY 2009 Budget."
"This letter is being circulated by Senators Biden and Smith."
If you have time, tell them how your programs are being hurt or how you
cannot serve victims of domestic and sexual violence in your communities because you need more resources.
If they ask you for a copy of the letter, feel free to share the attached
version of the Senate letter.
If staff in the Senate have questions, they can contact Sarah Coleman of Senator Biden's office at 202.224.0558, or Lori Prater of Gordon Smith's
office at 202.224.6562.
Never called your Members of Congress before? Don't worry, it's easy!
When you call your Senators, your call will be answered by a receptionist.
Tell him or her that you want to talk with the staff person who handles
domestic and sexual violence issues. They will tell you the name of a staff person and connect you with that staff person or their voicemail.
If you're not sure who your Senators are, you can find out
Thanks in advance for taking action and for all that you do for survivors!
P.S. Don't forget to send a letter to your Representatives and Senators
about full funding for VAWA and FVPSA!
We can't stress enough how crucial this is! Key Congressional offices
have said they can't help us if they don't get letters from
their constituents!
This year for the Spring Conference, BISC-MI has decided to cosponsor an event that is being put on by the State Court Administrative Office, Family Services Division - Child Welfare Services Governor's Tack Force on Children's Justice. 
