Supporting victims of violent crime, especially the youngest and most vulnerable of those victims, is among my most solemn responsibilities in the House of Representatives. For young survivors and their families, the criminal justice system can be an intimidating maze of questions, legal challenges, and hardships that, when added to the trauma of the underlying crime itself, may seem insurmountable. For years, I have worked with my colleagues to ensure these voices are heard at the highest levels of government.
Tragically, these brave children seeking justice now face the prospect of being left behind.
The Victims of Crime Act, and through it, the Crime Victims Fund, serves as a lifeline for millions of survivors to access the support they need to heal. VOCA funds are allocated to survivors of crimes as well as service providers, including the nation’s nearly 1,000 children’s advocacy centers, which directly assist survivors of violent crimes with victim advocacy support, medical and mental health services, shelter and housing, and legal resources to assist the child and his or her family throughout the criminal justice process.
Over time, however, the fund has begun to dry up due to the nature of its source: the unpredictable world of federal criminal prosecutions. Unlike most government programs, the CVF is not funded by taxpayers. Instead, the CVF is financed from the fines, settlements, and bonds from federal criminal cases. Each year that the funding shrinks, children’s advocacy centers across the country are forced to make decisions about how to allocate their portion and triage vital resources best.
This year, in a move that accelerated the funding drain, VOCA grants saw a devastating $600 million cut in the federal budget. As a result, children’s advocacy centers across the country are now being forced to shutter much-needed services or, worse, close their doors entirely. This will lead to less support for victims of violent crimes, depleted legal resources in the pursuit of justice, and fewer victims’ rights advocates. In my home state of Missouri, each of the state’s 15 children’s advocacy centers will be forced to reckon with this drastic funding loss.
The underlying CVF system has several challenges that must be addressed, and I urge my colleagues to join me in finding a long-term solution.
However, services such as the 15 children’s advocacy centers and 59 domestic violence agencies in Missouri need help now, which is why I introduced the bipartisan Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2024, or CVF Stabilization Act. This stand-alone bill amends the VOCA statute to add a new funding source: money collected from the False Claims Act.
The False Claims Act authorizes the government to pursue civil penalties from entities that defraud government agencies. Over the past two fiscal years, this law has brought in nearly $5 billion from bad actors. This temporary addition to the CVF will help stabilize the fund while retaining the CVF’s original intent of being financed by legal fines and fees, not your tax dollars. More importantly, it will give state VOCA offices the support necessary to keep their operations running until we can find a permanent solution.
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As we look for that solution, I urge my fellow members of Congress to swiftly pass the CVF Stabilization Act, reverse the current budget cuts to VOCA, and provide children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, and rape crisis centers the resources they need to support countless children victimized by violent crime.
Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the most vulnerable children in our society are not left to fend for themselves. We can and must do what is right for these victims.
Ann Wagner represents Missouri’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
