Dear Supporter,

Earlier this month, the Senate adjourned without passing a COVID-19 relief package that would aid survivors and millions of others who are suffering. This week is a critical time for you to demand that the Senate pass a bill and Congress finalize a COVID-19 relief package that meets the needs of survivors.

Survivors’ lives are in jeopardy and there is no time to waste.

You’ve read the news - communities all over the nation are seeing spikes in domestic violence, and early indications reveal that the severity is increasing as well. Domestic violence programs and shelters remain open, helping survivors flee abuse and navigate health, safety, and economic issues in the midst of a global pandemic. But survivors’ housing, shelter, advocacy, legal, and economic needs are intensifying, just as domestic violence programs are anticipating cuts from state and local funders.

The Senate must prioritize the needs of survivors so that Congress can pass a final package to make strong provisions a reality. The stakes are high for survivors -- tell Congress to act TODAY!

The House-passed HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) provided a number of critical resources and policies to advance safety for survivors, including an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act to shore up the non-taxpayer funding source for victim services, supplementary funding for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs, policies to ensure that non-citizen immigrant survivors have access to healthcare and economic relief, and substantial housing resources. The Senate Republicans’ package, the HEALS Act, provides supplementary FVPSA funding, but none of the other key requests. Neither package provides meaningful funding for sexual assault survivors, and no federal relief package has included resources for culturally specific programs serving survivors who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, despite the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color. We can, and must, do better.

Tell Congress -- pass a final relief package that meets the needs of all survivors!

Join the National Network to End Domestic Violence and advocates across the country TODAY -- email and tweet your Members of Congress urging them to pass a final COVID-19 stimulus package that meets survivors' needs.

Thank you for your ongoing advocacy, especially when the stakes are so high.

For safety and peace,

Deborah J. Vagins
NNEDV President and CEO