Austin, Texas — The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) and the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) today urged the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives to reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA).
On February 2, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-8 to reauthorize the landmark 1994 law. For years, Texas Senator John Cornyn has been a leader in his efforts to safe guard funding for victims of sexual assault and family violence, so TCFV and TAASA join in registering their surprise at Senator Cornyn’s vote against the bill in committee.
VAWA is at the core of our nation’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. TCFV and TAASA encourage the Texas congressional delegation to show their strong compassion and commitment to swift reauthorization of VAWA, which represents our coordinated community response to sexual assault and family violence services. Rape crisis centers, family violence centers, law enforcement, prosecutors and the courts all form a part of this response. VAWA funds critical programs across the state that help Texans who have been battered and abused.
“We urge all members of Congress to work in a bi-partisan manner to reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women’s Act. Violence against women is not a partisan issue. This law has dramatically enhanced our nation’s response to violent crime,” said Gloria A. Terry, President of the Texas Council on Family Violence. “Everyday in communities all across Texas, VAWA saves lives and helps millions of women and children find safety and security, ” said Terry.
According to Annette Burrhus-Clay, Executive Director of TAASA “over 2 million Texans have been victims of sexual assault and VAWA has made serving these victims a priority.” “It is critical that Congress promptly reauthorize this landmark legislation with its key elements and adequate funding levels intact,” said Burrhus-Clay.
The Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) in VAWA has allowed rural programs in Perryton and Eastland to provide targeted counseling to sexual assault survivors from underserved communities and to provide full spectrum services to sexual assault survivors in Dallas and El Paso, where options were limited in the past.
The Reauthorization of VAWA is a long process. Stakeholders have worked for the past several years in preparation for the filing of S. 1925 last November. The bill must still progress to the Senate floor for a vote and then the House will also need to take up VAWA Reauthorization. TCFV and TAASA look forward to the opportunity to highlight areas of compromise for Sen. Cornyn to support VAWA reauthorization.
Texas received over $8.8 million for VAWA. VAWA in many ways represents the gold standard when it comes to our country’s coordinated community response to violence against women.
Family violence affects all Texas communities. In the last alone more than 80,000 women, children and men found safety and services at family violence centers.
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The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), formed in 1978, is one of the largest domestic violence coalitions in the nation. TCFV promotes safe and healthy relationships by supporting service providers, facilitating strategic prevention efforts, and creating opportunities for freedom from domestic violence. www.tcfv.org
The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) is the statewide organization committed to ending sexual violence in Texas. A non-profit educational and advocacy organization based in Austin, TAASA member agencies comprise a statewide network of more than 80 crisis centers that serve rural as well as metropolitan areas. Founded in 1982, the agency has a strong record of success in community education, legal services, youth outreach, law enforcement training, legislative advocacy, and curricula and materials development. Additional information about TAASA can be found at www.taasa.org.
Here is a List of Cities and Agencies who Benefit from VAWA Funding
| El Paso | $468,887.30 |
| Dallas / FT Worth | $1,130,515.43 |
| Harris County | $616,304.00 |
| Corpus Christi | $441,318.63 |
| Lubbock | $426,371.00 |
| Austin / Bastrop | $459,723.00 |