Political Quotes

“I rise to introduce a bill to clarify the use of funds in the Crime Victims Fund. I am pleased to be joined by Senator Feinstein. Federal law makes money from the Crime Victims Fund available to the Department of Justice ``for the United States Attorneys Offices and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to improve services for the benefit of crime victims in the Federal criminal justice system, and for a Victim Notification System.'' 42 U.S.C. 10601(d)(3). This money is used, among other purposes, to fund positions for Victim Advocates in the United States Attorneys' Offices throughout the Federal jurisdiction. These Advocates are crucial to the system. We must make sure that DOJ uses Victim Advocates for services ``for the benefit of crime victims.'' Advocates should not be providing travel services. Advocates should not be forced to wear two hats: fact witness management and victim services. Often these hats conflict with one another at the expense of victims. According to a letter from John W. Gillis, the former Director of the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, ``Travel services required of Advocates have included approving fact witness travel, making or authorizing travel arrangements or cancellations, changes to travel and lodging arrangements for witnesses, reconciling errors, handling with hotels, and seeking approval for government employee witnesses.…”