ACTION ALERT: PLEASE CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Congress Considers Recognizing Sexual Assault Month
The Senate has just passed a bill
that would, for the first time,
officially recognize April as National
Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention
Month. This recognition would raise
the profile of the issue and lead
to more media coverage, public awareness,
and legislative action. That's why
we need your help.
Before the bill becomes law, the
House needs to pass it. Please call
your Representative in the House
today and ask her or him to cosponsor
this important resolution.
Nobody is opposed to this bill,
but the House has lots to do and
only two legislative days left this
month. The only way to guarantee
they deal with it and bring it up
for a vote is if they hear from
you and other constituents. If you
tell them this bill is a priority,
there's a much better chance of
securing a vote.
Here's what to do:
1. If you're not sure who your
Representative is, you can find
the name and phone number here:
www.visi.com/juan/congress/
2. If you already know who represents
you, just call 202-225-3121 and
ask for him or her by name. The
Capitol switchboard will connect
you to a staff member in that office.
3. Once you've been connected to
the appropriate office, ask to speak
to the staffer who handles violence
against women issues.
4. Here's a sample script for once
you're connected (if the staffer
is not available, please leave the
message on voicemail).
"I'm a constituent from (name
your city/county) and want to ask
Rep. X to cosponsor the resolution
to designate April as National Sexual
Assault Awareness & Prevention
Month. The resolution number is
H.J. Res. 36. The Senate has already
passed this bill, and we need the
House to act before the end of April.
Please do what you can to make sure
the resolution is brought up for
a vote. This means a lot to me.
It will increase attention to sexual
assault and will help our efforts
to fight rape. Thank you for considering
this request.
5. That's it-short and easy. It
will only take you about two minutes
to make the call. In that time,
one more woman in America will be
sexually assaulted. Please take
the time to help.
Download a copy of the National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month resolution here. For more information or to volunteer to help get this bill passed, email RAINN at [email protected].
PAST RAINN NEWS COLUMNS:
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest
anti-sexual assault organization. With a national perspective and broad
reach, RAINN is a trusted resource for media, policymakers and the public.
Additionally, RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at
1.800.656.HOPE. Comprised of more than 1,000 local affiliates, the hotline
has helped more than half a million victims of sexual assault since 1994.
For more information, please visit the RAINN website at www.rainn.org
