The Office of Public Witness sent three letters about the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to the Senate this morning (Feb. 4): one thanking the lead sponsor of the bill, S. 47, Senator Patrick Leahy; one thanking the 59 Senators who have cosponsored the bill; and one to the remaining 39 Senators who have not cosponsored it. To find the list of current cosponsors, visit the Library of Congress' website. The Senate is expected to begin debating this measure this evening. Below, please see the letters thanking the cosponsors and urging support from those who have not yet cosponsored the bill.
Click here to send a message to your Senators in favor of S. 47!
To the cosponsors of S. 47:
Click here to send a message to your Senators in favor of S. 47!
To the cosponsors of S. 47:
February 1, 2013
Dear Senator:
In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we believe that “domestic violence is always a violation of the power God intended for good.” We believe that “God the Creator is preeminently a covenant-maker, the One who creates, sustains, and transforms the people of God. Domestic violence and abuse destroys covenants in which people have promised to treat each other with respect and dignity.”*
Because of these convictions, we strongly support a robust reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, we thank you for co-sponsoring S. 47, and we trust that you to vote in favor of it when it comes before the Senate early next week. Further, we urge you to oppose any weakening, harmful, or non-germane amendments and only to support changes to VAWA that are endorsed by the bill’s chief sponsor.
As you know, VAWA’s programs support state, tribal, and local efforts to address the pervasive and insidious crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. These programs have made great progress towards reducing the violence, helping victims to be healthy and feel safe and holding perpetrators accountable. This critical legislation must be reauthorized to ensure a continued response to these crimes.
Again, we thank you for cosponsoring this bill and look forward to its passage, so that we can build upon VAWA's successes and continue to enhance our nation’s ability to promote an end to this violence, to hold perpetrators accountable, and to keep victims and their families safe from future harm. For our part, we commit to continued ministry with victims and survivors of violence and to do all we can, through our ministries and our advocacy, to end this desperate cycle of violence and brokenness.
We give thanks for your service to our nation and for your leadership on this issue.
Sincerely,
The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II
Director for Public Witness
* Belief statements are quoted from Turn Mourning Into Dancing! A Policy Statement on Healing Domestic Violence, approved by the 213th General Assembly (2001) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
To Senators who have NOT cosponsored S. 47:
February 1, 2013
Dear Senator:
In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we believe that “domestic violence is always a violation of the power God intended for good.” We believe that “God the Creator is preeminently a covenant-maker, the One who creates, sustains, and transforms the people of God. Domestic violence and abuse destroys covenants in which people have promised to treat each other with respect and dignity.”*
Because of these convictions, we strongly support a robust reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, we ask you to co-sponsor it, and we urge you to vote in favor of S. 47 when it comes before the Senate early next week. Further, we urge you to oppose any weakening, harmful, or non-germane amendments and only to support changes to VAWA that are endorsed by the bill’s chief sponsor.
VAWA’s programs support state, tribal and local efforts to address the pervasive and insidious crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. These programs have made great progress towards reducing the violence, helping victims to be healthy and feel safe and holding perpetrators accountable. This critical legislation must be reauthorized to ensure a continued response to these crimes.
Since its original passage in 1994, VAWA has dramatically enhanced our nation’s response to violence against girls and women, boys and men. VAWA provides for a coordinated community approach, improving collaboration between law enforcement and victim services providers to better meet the needs of victims. And while VAWA has unquestionably improved the national response to these terrible crimes, much work remains to be done to address unmet needs and to enhance access to protections and services for all victims. We urge you to sponsor and vote for S. 47in order to build upon VAWA's successes and continue to enhance our nation’s ability to promote an end to this violence, to hold perpetrators accountable and to keep victims and their families safe from future harm.
For our part, we commit to continued ministry with victims and survivors of violence and to do all we can, through our ministries and our advocacy, to end this desperate cycle of violence and brokenness.
We give thanks for your service to our nation and for your leadership on this issue.
Sincerely,
The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II
Director for Public Witness
* Belief statements are quoted from Turn Mourning Into Dancing! A Policy Statement on Healing Domestic Violence, approved by the 213th General Assembly (2001) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
