Crapo Offers Budget Amendment To Protect The Crime Victims Fund

Statement

In the mark-up of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Budget, the U.S. Senate Budget Committee approved an amendment from Idaho Senator Mike Crapo to prevent the monies collected for the Crime Victims Fund from being used for purposes unrelated to assisting crime victims.

"For more than two decades, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) has been providing critical funding to victims' service organizations and direct compensation to victims of crime," Crapo said. "For too many years, it has become a practice of the Administration and Congress to move Crime Victims Fund money to the general fund, forcing VOCA to become an appropriated account. During the mark-up of the FY 2010 budget, this committee agreed to prevent this from happening. Despite being adopted unanimously, the amendment was dropped in conference, and the raid on the fund continues today. Moving these funds is a budget gimmick that robs grant support services such as emergency shelters, crisis intervention and counseling for over 3.7 million victims of all types of crimes each year. The Crime Victims Fund does not contribute to our nation's debt or deficit, and collects at no expense to the taxpayer. As a lead sponsor of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, I hope we can finally protect these essential funds when we go to conference with the U.S. House of Representatives."

The Victims of Crime Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. The money for the Crime Victims Fund comes through fines, forfeitures and penalties collected from those who commit crimes. The amendment goes to the Senate Floor as part of the FY 2014 Budget Resolution which will be debated during the week of March 18 -- 22.

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