MCASA E-lert: Calls needed- Don’t let the Senate ignore survivors

Urge Senator Cardin and Senator Van Hollen to help lead the way and pass the HEROES Act

On October 1st, the House passed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief measure to finalize another much-needed COVID-19 relief bill, after its May passage of the $3.4 trillion Heroes Act was ultimately not taken up in the Senate.

The Updated HEROES Act is better for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault than the original one was - you contacted your Representatives to share your concerns, and they listened! It’s time to make the Senate listen, too.

Senator Cardin and Senator Van Hollen have helped lead the way in ending violence against women. Please contact them and ask thank them for their past support and ask them to support the updated HEROES Act, which does the following for sexual assault survivors:

Supplemental funding for various Violence Against Women Act and Family Violence Prevention and Services Act grants, including the following that were not in the original HEROES Act:

• $100 million for the Sexual Assault Services Program;
• $25 million for Culturally Specific Services; and
• $25 million for outreach and services to underserved populations
• Amends the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to increase deposits into the Crime Victims Fund and waives matching requirements for VOCA victim assistance grantees;
• Increases immigrant survivors’ access to health, safety, and economic stability by expanding benefits; and 
• Provides survivors additional economic and rental support, including access to unemployment insurance and paid leave.

Contact our US Senators today to ask them to pass the updated HEROES Act.

U.S. Senators from Maryland