The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is due for reauthorization. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) will introduce a bipartisan bill on tomorrow, Wednesday, November 30th to reauthorize and improve VAWA.

We need your help to make sure VAWA has as much support in Congress as possible when it is introduced to the Senate tomorrow.

Over the past 17 years, VAWA has given survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking unprecedented access to improved services and ultimately, safety. VAWA has saved countless lives, protected families, given a voice to survivors and provided invaluable training to the criminal justice community. VAWA is landmark legislation in the movement to end violence against women and girls, and is both a symbol and actualization of what it means to create healing and justice for survivors and their communities. The Joyful Heart Foundation is proud to be a member of the coalition of women and victim's rights groups across the country who worked together with Senator Leahy's office to draft the VAWA reauthorization bill and gather support. VAWA is so critical to the work we do to prevent and end violence against women and children. We ask that you take a moment today to contact your Senators and encourage them to support this bill and sign on as an original co-sponsor. We've listed the Senators that the VAWA coalition has identified as particularly important to gain as original co-sponsors below, as well as talking points to share during your phone call with your Senator(s). Please share this message with your family, friends and colleagues as well and ask them to make a call to their Senator(s) today--we are hoping to get as many co-sponsors as we can before tomorrow. The time is now.

Talking points:

• We know that Senator _________ cares about ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
• The Violence Against Women Act is critical to our ability to address these crimes in our state.
• There is evidence showing that VAWA has saved millions of dollars and countless lives.
• We are asking for you to be an original co-sponsor of the Leahy/Crapo bill that will be introduced on Wednesday.
• Please contact Anya McMurray or Noah Bookbinder at (202) 224-7703 to sign on to the bill.

*********** Alabama

Sessions, Jeff - (202) 224-4124 Shelby, Richard - (202) 224-5744

Arkansas

Boozman, John - (202) 224-4843

Alaska

Murkowski, Lisa - (202) 224-6665

Arizona

McCain, John - (202) 224-2235 Kyl, Jon - (202) 224-4521

California

Boxer, Barbara - (202) 224-3553 Feinstein, Dianne - (202) 224-3841

Florida

Rubio, Marco - (202) 224-3041

Georgia

Chambliss, Saxby - (202) 224-3521 Isakson, Johnny - (202) 224-3643

Hawai‘i

Akaka, Daniel - (202) 224-6361 Inouye, Daniel - (202) 224-3934

Idaho

Crapo, Mike - (202) 224-6142 – (Sen. Mike Crapo is already one of the original co-sponsors. If he is your Senator, be sure to thank him for his commitment to ending violence against women.) Risch, James - (202) 224-2752

Illinois

Kirk, Mark - (202) 224-2854

Indiana

Lugar, Richard - (202) 224-4814 Coats, Daniel - (202) 224-5623

Iowa

Grassley, Chuck - (202) 224-3744

Louisiana

Vitter, David - (202) 224-4623

Kansas

Moran, Jerry - (202) 224-6521 Roberts, Pat - (202) 224-4774

Kentucky

McConnell, Mitch - (202) 224-2541 Paul, Rand - (202) 224-4343

Maine

Collins, Susan - (202) 224-2523 Snowe, Olympia - (202) 224-5344

Massachusetts

Brown, Scott - (202) 224-4543

Mississippi

Cochran, Thad - (202) 224-5054 Wicker, Roger - (202) 224-6253

Missouri

Blunt, Roy - (202) 224-5721

Nebraska

Johanns, Mike - (202) 224-4224

Nevada

Heller, Dean - (202) 224-6244

New Hampshire

Ayotte, Kelly - (202) 224-3324

North Carolina

Burr, Richard - (202) 224-3154

New York

Gillibrand, Kirsten - (202) 224-4451 Schumer, Charles - (202) 224-6542

North Dakota

Hoeven, John - (202) 224-2551

Ohio

Portman, Rob - (202) 224-3353

Oklahoma

Coburn, Tom - (202) 224-5754 Inhofe, James - (202) 224-4721

Pennsylvania

Toomey, Patrick - (202) 224-4254

South Carolina

DeMint, Jim - (202) 224-6121 Graham, Lindsey - (202) 224-5972

South Dakota

Thune, John - (202) 224-2321

Tennessee

Alexander, Lamar - (202) 224-4944 Corker, Bob - (202) 224-3344

Texas

Cornyn, John - (202) 224-2934 Hutchison, Kay Bailey - (202) 224-5922

Utah

Hatch, Orrin - (202) 224-5251 Lee, Mike - (202) 224-5444

Wisconsin

Johnson, Ron - (202) 224-5323

Wyoming

Enzi, Michael - (202) 224-3424 Barrasso, John - (202) 224-6441