Earlier this month, CALCASA Director of Public Affairs Robert Coombs and I left to Washington D.C. for the 2010 Advocacy Day hosted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.
This two day event included policy briefings by the following distinguished guests:
- Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women
- Marylouise Kelley, Family Violence Prevention and Services Program, Health and Human Services Agency
- Judge Susan Carbon, Office of Violence Against Women
- Karen Lang, Center for Disease Control Division of Violence Prevention
- and 10 Members of Congress.
NNEDV/NAESV Advocacy Day allowed advocates from all over the United States and the territories to conduct over 150 Congressional visits. CALCASA joined forces with our sister organization, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV), to meet with our homestate elected officials. Both organizations stressed that our elected members of Congress support the following proposals:
- Increase funding to the Violence Against Women Act programs: Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP), Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors (STOP), Legal Assistance for Victims, and Transitional Housing Grants, and other VAWA related programs
- Increase funds to Rape Prevention and Education Program grants administered by the Center for Disease Control
- Reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
CALCASA would like to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Dianne Feinstien, Congresspersons John Campbell, Maxine Waters, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee and all of their staffs for taking the time out of their day to meet with their constituents.
