RADAR ALERT: VAWA: Our 2008 legislative scorecard: A CLEAN SWEEP!‏

VAWA Reformers –

The 110th Session of Congress has now come to a close, and the lights dimmed in the Senate and the House. So it’s time to tally up our accomplishments.

In 2008, four domestic violence bills were introduced in Congress:

1. International Violence Against Women Act (S. 2279 and H.R. 5927)
2. National Domestic Violence Volunteer Act (S. 1515 and H.R. 6088)
3. Domestic Violence Victim Protection Act (H.R. 203)
4. Commending the important achievements of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as it celebrates 30 years of service to local domestic violence shelter and service programs (H. Res. 1397)

In all four cases, we succeeded in preventing passage of these bills, even though we were out-manned and out-spent, and even though the VAWA Mafia pulled out all the stops to secure passage of I-VAWA and the National Domestic Violence Volunteer Act. Break out the champagne!

To every person who responded to a RADAR Alert, made a phone call, sent a fax, fired off an email, spoke to a staffer, or came to Washington DC to do lobbying, THANK YOU! Your effort TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE!

Of course, our battle is far from over. The VAWA Mafia has big plans for 2009. But in 2008, our side emerged the victor!!!

Sincerely,

The RADAR Team

P.S. Want to get an early start on lobbying Congress in 2009? Come to DC January 29 and 30. That will be our first big lobbying event of the year.