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| Wilson Hails Funding for Violence Against Women Programs |
October 03, 2005 |
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| Rep. Original Cosponsor of Legislation to Prevent Fund Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Programs
Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson, an original cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), welcomed House reauthorization of the funding for the bipartisan legislation and said the program reduces crimes of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The US House of Representatives last week renewed funding for the Violence Against Women Act. Wilson is an original co-sponsor of H.R. 2876, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2005, the provisions of which were included and passed this week as part of H.R. 3402, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Appropriations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 through 2009. Wilson was also an original cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act when it passed in September of 2000.
“The New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc. wishes to express our extreme gratitude to Rep. Heather Wilson for her strong bi-partisan leadership in co-sponsoring the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act,” says Kim Alaburda, Executive Director of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc. “The funds generated from this act have allowed New Mexico to increase much needed services and criminal justice initiatives for victims of sexual violence, domestic violence and stalking.
“As a direct result of the Violence Against Women legislation, there are more investigations, more prosecutions and tougher penalties for domestic violence and sexual assault. The Violence Against Women programs help protect women and children, and rebuild lives,” Wilson said today at a visit to the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center. “Keeping these important grants and programs is part of our commitment to providing women and children with safety from the fear and tragedy of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.”
"The Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center is grateful to Congresswoman Heather Wilson for her leadership against sexual assault," said Bette Fleishman, executive director for the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center.
Over the years, the violence against women grant programs through the Department of Justice have awarded more than $1 billion in grant funds, through more than 1,250 discretionary grants and 350 STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) formula grants throughout the country. These grant programs help state, tribal, and local governments and community-based agencies to train personnel, establish specialized domestic violence and sexual assault units, assist victims of violence, and hold perpetrators accountable.
“Our Coalition has received VAWA funds enabling us to create one of the nations first Accessibility Projects, designed to enhance services and to provide equal justice to people with disabilities who have experienced such violence,” says Alaburda. “Additionally, we have received VAWA funds to train criminal justice professionals throughout rural, border, reservation and urban areas of New Mexico utilizing experts in that field to promotes the most effective techniques and knowledge in our New Mexico system. VAWA funds were used to sponsor our state`s first conference for tribal law enforcement on investigating sexual violence against women. Our sexual violence annual data report and our continual training of new SANE nurses are also partially funded with VAWA grants. It is with the dedicated work of Representative Wilson and her bi-partisan colleagues that have insured the continuation of such valuable programs.”
The House last week voted to reauthorize funding to continue these critically important programs. The Violence Against Women legislation addresses the impact of domestic violence on children, campus crime, rape and sexual assault prevention, insurance discrimination, domestic violence training for medical personnel, workplace safety, problems faced by older women and disabled women, legal services eligibility, and the safety of battered women.
Wilson Announces Federal Funds for Violence Against Women Programs in NM:
Congresswoman Heather Wilson today welcomed matching grants of $85,457 each for two Albuquerque programs that work to prevent sexual assault and domestic violence.
Grant recipients are the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs and the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Both grants, authorized by Congress, are from the Office on Violence Against Women through the U.S. Department of Justice.
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