releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0ea88905-6d40-4dc6-b661-207b0f5d952d
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=0ea88905-6d40-4dc6-b661-207b0f5d952d | Heitkamp: Investments in End of Year Spending Bill will Help Fight Violence Against Women | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced the year-end spending deal Congress voted on today includes a significant increase federal funding for support and services for victims of domestic violence, which Heitkamp has long championed. The $480 million in federal support from the Office on Violence Against Women is a $50 million increase from last year, and will be used for victims services, legal, training and technical assistance, as well as research and analysis on violence against Native women. The funding also includes $30 million for transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence seeking protection from their abusers as well as a new start in life, which Heitkamp who has worked since her time as North Dakotas Attorney General to secure the necessary safety and recovery resources for victims of domestic violence will continue working to strengthen. It is imperative that strong investments are made in organizations providing victims with a clear path out of this vicious cycle of abuse, said Heitkamp. The significant increase in Violence Against Women Act federal funding included in the end of the year spending bill Congress passed is a needed step in the path toward improving safety, but we cant stop there. To truly protect victims, we need to simultaneously strengthen support dedicated to the transitional housing programs that help victims escape and more importantly survive. When I first helped implement VAWA across the state as North Dakotas Attorney General, I saw firsthand the deep impact this funding makes in the lives of victims, and Ill keep pushing to strengthen historically underfunded, yet critical programs like transitional housing that open the door to freedom from abuse helping victims get the support they need to escape, recover, and rebuild their lives. For decades, Heitkamp has worked to combat domestic violence in North Dakota and across the country. As North Dakota Attorney General in the 1990s, she implemented the original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) across the state, and worked to change the perception of domestic violence as a public health issue, so it would be treated and viewed as what it is a criminal act. As a result, Heitkamp saw firsthand the dramatic changes in the number of incidents that followed after domestic violence was criminalized. Largely due to VAWA, according to the Justice Department, the annual incidences of domestic violence have fallen more than 60 percent since 1993. Since joining the Senate, Heitkamp has built on her work as Attorney General to combat domestic violence and stop those who seek to harm adults and children: Successfully fighting for greater protections for tribal communities in Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. The first bill Heitkamp cosponsored in the U.S. Senate was the reauthorization of VAWA which she then played a key role in pushing through Congress. Heitkamp worked to include a key provision in VAWA to address the continuing crisis of violence against women in tribal communities. The provision strengthens the existing programs and provides tribal governments the force they need to prosecute non-Indian perpetrators who commit these crimes on tribal land. Securing greater legal protections and services for domestic and sexual violence victims. In November, Heitkamps bipartisan Pro bono Work to Empower and Represent or POWER Act (POWER Act) to help combat domestic abuse and sexual violence by increasing access and promoting pro-bono legal services for victims of domestic violence unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate. Raising awareness of domestic violence awareness and resources available in North Dakota communities. In October 2014, Heitkamp met with community leaders, advocates, and victims services inFargoandMinotto highlight the urgent need to address domestic violence as a public health crisis in North Dakota. Heitkamp also toured the Community Violence Intervention Center (CVIC) both in Grand Forks this past January and in Minot this past March to see the programs its implemented to support victims and combat domestic violence in the region. Addressing emerging challenges in North Dakota to better combat domestic violence. Last fall, Heitkamp convened a task force of experts, law enforcement and leaders across the state in launching her Strong & Safe Communities Initiative to address emerging challenges including a rise in domestic violence in the wake of the oil and gas boom. In October, Heitkamp hosted her Strong & Safe Communities Summit with about 150 community leaders to discuss solutions on domestic violence and a host of other issues facing the state. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |