Sent to the UniteOurStates.com community yesterday:

I believe that ending violence against women is truly a shared goal — one that is held by Democrats and Republicans, one that is upheld by men and women, and one that is desired by both government and by the private sector.

I am writing today because the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is set to expire at the end of this week and we need your help to make sure this landmark piece of legislation is renewed.

Please help me renew the Violence Against Women Act by contacting your Senator and Representative today.

VAWA is the legal backbone of our country’s fight to end domestic violence and sexual assault. Since 1994, when I first led the fight to pass this law, it has helped dramatically reduce incidents of violence against women:

• Domestic violence has dropped by almost 50%.
• Incidents of rape are down by 60%.
• The number of women killed by an abusive husband or boyfriend is down by 22%.
• More than half of all rape victims are stepping forward to report the crime — a significant increase over the past ten years.
• Over a million women have found justice in our courtrooms and obtained domestic violence protective orders.

The Act also changed the way that the law enforcement community views violence against women. No longer are these crimes considered “domestic matters”. Today, they are properly treated as criminal acts and are strongly prosecuted.

The Violence Against Women Act of 2005 continues to build on these gains by further improving housing options for battered women; tightening criminal laws; enlisting health care professionals in the process; helping to treat children who are victims of, or witness, abuse; and supporting widespread prevention strategies.

The Act has more than 50 Republican and Democratic co-sponsors and has gathered endorsements from a wide-ranging group of supporters, including the American Bar Association, the National Association of Attorneys General, the International Association of Forensic Nurses, the American Medical Association, the National Sheriffs Association, and more than 70 victim services and advocacy organizations. Nevertheless, this law will expire unless there is quick action taken by Congress.

Please help me renew the Violence Against Women Act by contacting your Senator and Representative today.

We simply cannot afford to let this vital piece of legislation lapse or become buried in partisan bickering. Please act today.

Thank you,

Joe Biden
U.S. Senator

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 29th, 2005 at 10:17 am and is filed under general. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Also, you can trackback from your own site.