The Violence Against Women Act was passed in 1994 with the laudable intention of solving the problem of domestic violence. Unfortunately the law has numerous flaws, including1 When the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on reauthorizing VAWA in 2005, RADAR conducted a campaign to request that the Committee invite some of the most knowledgeable science-based domestic violence researchers in the world to testify at the hearings. 2,3,4 Word came back to us through unofficial channels that no matter how world-reknowned a proposed researcher may be in the study of domestic violence, the Senators running the Committee were determined to prevent anyone who would criticize VAWA in any way from testifying at the hearings. Instead, the Committee invited testimony from Hollywood actresses and stakeholders with a financial interest in hiding VAWA's flaws. Rather than holding a hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee ended up holding a dog-and-pony show. VAWA will be up for reauthorization next year, and this Wednesday, June 10th, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold the first of a series of "hearings." The list of witnesses they've invited to the June 10th hearing, which they've titled "The Continued Importance of the Violence Against Women Act", can be seen at: http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3898. As in the past, they've invited a Hollywood actress and people whose livelihoods would be jeopardized if VAWA's failings were revealed. Since the Senators have shown a determination to ignore objective science-based researchers who might detract from the planned lovefest, these "hearings" will not be an honest investigation into what is and what isn't working in VAWA, but will instead be nothing more than sham cheerleading sessions. Many of these Senators objected vociferously as they accused the Bush administration of hiding information to get the policy they wanted – the invasion of Iraq. These same Senators now need to hear from the public that it is equally unacceptable for them to hide important information by manipulating the VAWA reauthorization hearings. Below is a list of the Senators on the Judiciary Committee. Please call: Senator Patrick Leahy (Committee Chair) and: Senator Jeff Sessions (Ranking Member) Also if a senator from your home state is on the committee, contact that senator as well. Tell them that unless they investigate both the accomplishments and failings of our nation's domestic violence policy by inviting testimony from science-based researchers in the study of domestic violence including Murray Straus and Donald Dutton, they'll be guilty of the very same behavior they accused the Bush administration of using to justify invading Iraq. As always, express your opinions firmly but politely. Date of RADAR Release: June 8, 2009 R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.
Senator
Voice phone
Fax
State
Party
Patrick J. Leahy, Chairman
202/224-4242
202/224-3479
Vermont
D
Jeff Sessions, Ranking Member
202/224-4124
202/224-3149
Alabama
R
Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Office
202/224-7703
202/224-9516
D
Senate Judiciary Committee Minority Office
202/224-5225
202/224-9102
R
Jon Kyl
202/224-4521
202/224-2207
Arizona
R
Dianne Feinstein
202/224-3841
202/224-3954
California
D
Edward E. Kaufman
202/224-5042
202/228-3075
Delaware
D
Richard J. Durbin
202/224-2152
202/228-0400
Illinois
D
Charles E. Grassley
202/224-3744
202/224-6020
Iowa
R
Benjamin L. Cardin
202/224-4524
202/224-1651
Maryland
D
Amy Klobuchar
202/224-3244
202/228-2186
Minnesota
D
Charles E. Schumer
202/224-6542
202/228-3027
New York
D
Tom Coburn
202/224-5754
202/224-6008
Oklahoma
R
Ron Wyden
202/224-5244
202/228-2717
Oregon
D
Arlen Specter
202/224-4254
202/228-1229
Pennsylvania
D
Sheldon Whitehouse
202/224-2921
202/228-6362
Rhode Island
D
Lindsey Graham
202/224-5972
South Carolina
R
John Cornyn
202/224-2934
202/228-2856
Texas
R
Orrin G. Hatch
202/224-5251
202/224-6331
Utah
R
Herb Kohl
202/224-5653
202/224-9787
Wisconsin
D
Russell D. Feingold
202/224-5323
202/224-2725
Wisconsin
D