321ACTION: September 3, 2024
Congress will return next week from their August recess for a brief legislative session before adjourning again until after the election.
In this short time, they'll need to pass a short-term funding bill or face a government shutdown. A continuing resolution would temporarily fund the federal government beyond September 30 until Congress can finalize a proper funding bill, the timing of which will likely be determined by the winners of the 2024 election cycle.
One of JWI’s top priorities for the remainder of the year, no matter the results of the election, is to stabilize funding for victim services and victim compensation.
Funding for Victims of Crime Act victim services grants were cut by a catastrophic 40% this year, and further cuts are on the horizon if Congress fails to act decisively and expeditiously. Mark your calendars for a VOCA day of action on September 10, with a toolkit to come.
Ready to make a difference?
Here are three ways to get started:
3. Help protect undocumented crime victims
The Violence Against Women Act, which will turn 30 in a few weeks, established protections for undocumented victims and survivors of gender-based violence, empowering them to report domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking to law enforcement and to help law enforcement with their investigations without fear of deportation.
Since then, procedural barriers have lessened the effectiveness of these protections, including the U visa, which protects victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse.
Click here to urge the Department of Homeland Security to finalize regulations to improve U visa procedures and provide faster relief to victims.
2. Spread the Word about safe storage
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and youth in the United States. Safely storing firearms can reduce the risk of suicide, unintentional shootings, and homicide.
Watch and share the video above from the Ad Council and EndFamilyFire, as well as the Jewish Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable’s recent webinar, Children and Guns: What Every Parent Should Know, to learn more.
1. Learn to host trauma-informed events
As we approach the one year remembrance of the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7, many communities are planning events to remember those lost and to highlight the plight of the hostages still being held captive.
On September 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET, please join JWI for an online event about how to host thoughtful and respectful conversations about sexual violence without further traumatizing survivors in the audience or on stage. The event will feature Anat Stalinsky, director of Screams Before Silence.
+ In case you missed it...
Almost 14% of American women and 6% of American men experience gun threats by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.
Most women who are murdered in the US are killed by a male abusive partner, and most of these homicides are committed using firearms.
A male abusive partner’s access to a firearm increases the risk of intimate partner femicide five-fold.
Join the Jewish Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable and expert panelists on Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET for an online conversation about the role of firearms in domestic violence, legal remedies, and what you can do to help change the law.