Patrick Leahy: “I am truly frustrated in the failure of the budget resolution conference agreement to include the sense-of-the- Senate…”

“I am truly frustrated in the failure of the budget resolution conference agreement to include the sense-of-the- Senate provision--which I offered and the Senate accepted by voice vote--that is intended to head off the administration's plans to raid the Crime Victims Fund of over $1.2 billion. The Crime Victims Fund was created under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, VOCA, as a ``separate account,'' meaning that the revenues in the fund are intended to be used solely for financial support of victim services. The fund does not depend at all on taxpayer revenues; it is derived from Federal criminal fines, forfeitures, and special assessments. Since its inception, amounts deposited into the fund in a given fiscal year have remained available to support victim services in subsequent fiscal years. Following a proposal in the President's budget, this budget resolution conference agreement would rescind all amounts remaining in the fund at the end of fiscal year 2006--an estimated $1.267 billion. That would leave the fund with a balance of zero going into fiscal year 2007 to support vital victim services. This is absolutely shameful and unacceptable.…”