NEW YORK -- After more than two years of lobbying
with rape survivor Debbie Smith, leading non-profit organizations and lawmakers; after collecting and delivering to Congress more than 110,000 petition signatures from Lifetimetv.com; and after an urgent blast email this week to viewers to call the Senate to end the stalemate there, yesterday the Senate listened and finally acted, passing HR , "the Justice for All Act of ."
This critical legislation, which the House of Representatives also
approved for the third time yesterday, will eliminate the backlog of untested
DNA evidence and help put thousands of rapists behind bars. Marking a major
victory for women and families everywhere and for Lifetime's Emmy-Award-
winning campaign: "Our Lifetime Commitment: Stop Violence Against Women," the
bill is now on the way to the White House for President Bush's signature.
The legislation will provide approximately $1 billion in funding over five
years to eliminate the DNA backlog, significantly improve the collection and
processing of DNA evidence, and better train police officers, sexual assault
forensic nurses and prosecutors. Enactment of this bill will help law
enforcement solve as many as 67,000 open rape cases, prevent many thousands of
rapes and offer peace to countless rape survivors and their families.
"We are thrilled that our viewers' voices were heard," said Meredith
Wagner, executive vice president of public sffairs at Lifetime Television.
"It is such an honor to use the power of our 88 million homes to enact
positive change to end violence against women. We thank Representative
Maloney and Representative Mark Green and Scott Berkowitz at RAINN for
enlisting Lifetime to help with this legislation. We also thank all the
senators who assured its passage. We will always be humbled to work with
Debbie Smith and her husband Rob Smith. It is their courage that made this
happen."
"I would like to commend Lifetime for using the power of television to
raise awareness on such an important issue to women and their families," said
Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) who championed the legislation in the
House. "I have been working on this issue with them for over two years, and I
honestly believe that Lifetime's support has been instrumental in bringing
this legislation the media attention it needed and deserved."
"This bill is truly a Lifetime bill," rape survivor and activist Debbie
Smith said. "When this bill passes it will be due in large part to their
efforts."
After the problem of the DNA backlog was first brought to Lifetime's
attention by Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and RAINN (the Rape, Abuse
and Incest National Network), over the past two years, Lifetime's efforts have
included:
* Collecting and delivering more than 110,000 petition signatures from
viewers at Lifetimetv.com urging Congress to pass legislation to
eliminate the DNA evidence rape kit backlog
* Airing original public service announcements
* Sending blast emails to Lifetime's team of activists, "Champions for
Change," and having them call their Representatives and Senators, which
has generated calls to the Capitol Hill at the most critical times
prior to votes and Committee action. Last week, the Champions for
Change called the Senate to implore them to act in the final days of
the session
* Joining Debbie and Rob Smith, leading advocacy organizations like the
National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) and RAINN, to walk the halls
of Congress and meet with many lawmakers
* Holding several press conferences and special events to build momentum
for the legislation with the Smith, NCVC and RAINN and champions in
Congress such as Representatives Green (R-WI) and Maloney (D-NY) and
Senators Biden (D-DE) and Hatch (R-UT)
The Justice for All Act was introduced by the chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Rep. William
Delahunt (D-MA). The Justice for All Act incorporates the Advancing Justice
Through DNA Technology Act and the The Debbie Smith Act. The Debbie Smith Act
was introduced in March by Representatives Green (R-WI) and Maloney (D-
NY). The Senate companion, the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of was
introduced by Senators Biden (D-DE), Cantwell (D-WA), and Clinton (D-NY).
Lifetime's involvement is part of the network's comprehensive, Emmy-Award
winning, public awareness campaign, "Our Lifetime Commitment: Stop Violence
Against Women." The campaign is dedicated to using the power of the media to
raise awareness of all forms of violence against women -- including domestic
abuse, sexual assault, stalking, video voyeurism, etc. and to change laws and
lives for the better. In this initiative, Lifetime partners with leading non-
profit organizations, corporations and government officials to create
extensive, original on-air programming, online content and community outreach
that offers lifesaving information and support, promotes passage of
progressive national legislation, and encourages both women and men to work
together to stop the violence. "Our Lifetime Commitment" initiatives are the
network's unparalleled efforts to advocate on behalf of women and families on
a range of critical issues, including breast cancer awareness, quality,
affordable childcare and self-esteem among women and girls. Lifetime also is working with Congress to create a federal law against video voyeurism.
Source: Lifetime Television
