Political Quotes

“this week we celebrate the 30th annual National Crime Victims' Rights Week, and the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Victims of Crime Act. It is a time to recognize the losses faced by victims of crime and their families, and to acknowledge the efforts of those who work so hard to ensure the protection and well-being of crime victims in Vermont and across the nation. It is also a time to reflect on all that we have accomplished together over the past three decades, and to focus on what more we must do to support and protect victims of crime. I have long supported victims of crime through the Victims of Crime Act, and I was proud to cosponsor the Senate resolution supporting the mission and goals of National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2014. One of our most effective tools to serve and support victims is the Crime Victims Fund. In 1984, the Senate voted to pass the Victims of Crime Act--VOCA--which created the Fund. The Fund is rightfully sustained by criminal fines and penalties, not by taxpayer dollars, and provides funding and support for victim services across the country. These services include funding for victim assistance, and compensation programs to help with medical, funeral, and burial costs, mental health counseling, and lost wages. In 1996, after the Oklahoma City bombing, I supported the creation of an Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve Fund to support communities in the wake of acts of mass violence.…”