Via email:

Within hours of approval of the budget deal last week, members of Congress headed home for their annual August recess. For lawmakers it's a time to meet with constituents and find out what's on persons' minds.

And right now our VAWA reform effort is on a roll. In just the past month:

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa revealed the fiscal malfeasance of many VAWA grantees: http://grassley.senate.gov/news/Article.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1502=35952

Rep. Ted Poe of Texas called for VAWA to be made gender-neutral: http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2011/jul/21/picket-vawa-supporter-capitol-hill-looks-have-law-/

The prestigious Roll Call newspaper ran a column by SAVE on the necessity for VAWA reform: http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_14/hearing_reveals_gaps_domestic_abuse_system-207705-1.html?pos=oopih

So this week, we urge you to continue our Big Momentum. Call your representative's office to set up an appointment and urge his or her support of the Partner Violence Reduction Act.

SAVE has developed several flyers to explain the need to amend the Violence Against Women Act. The flyers, PVRA legislative language, editorials, and more can be found here: http://www.saveservices.org/pvra/

There's a saying that 1% of the population makes things happen, 10% watch things happen, and the remainder asks, "What happened?"

2011 is the year we will bring about fundamental reform to our nation's domestic violence laws.

Sincerely,

Teri Stoddard, Program Director

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments

www.saveservices.org