Tone-Deaf: Senators Urge $413 Million for Partner Abuse Programs, Imperiling Prompt Passage of Coronavirus Bill

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Stewart

Telephone: 513-479-3335

Tone-Deaf: Senators Urge $413 Million for Partner Abuse Programs, Imperiling Prompt Passage of Coronavirus Bill

WASHINGTON / April 21, 2020 – Thirty-eight senators have issued a letter demanding that coronavirus bills allocate $413 million for partner abuse programs. The Coalition to End Domestic Violence notes that partner abuse and coronavirus relief are separate issues, and worries that such requests are likely to delay passage of critically needed coronavirus relief programs for small businesses.

Last month Congress passed the CARES Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program. The Program allows smaller companies to apply for forgivable loans to cover payroll expenses. Last Thursday, the Treasury Department announced that after issuing loans to 1.6 million businesses, the Paycheck Program had run out of money (1). Lawmakers are now working to hammer out details of a new bill that would provide additional funding for the Program.

On April 13, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and 37 other senators released a letter calling for future coronavirus bills to provide funding for Violence Against Women Act programs such as law enforcement, Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations, Transitional Housing, and assistance for Tribes and Tribal Organizations (2). Such services have no apparent connection to controlling the coronavirus pandemic or reinvigorating the ailing American economy.

Although some have speculated that coronavirus policies may cause a spurt in domestic violence, reports from around the country do not support such claims. A recent national investigation of the effects of stay-at-home policies concluded, “In almost all cities, the number of domestic violence cases has been steady or lower. In the only city that saw more domestic violence calls, the increase was minor.” (3)

Reports from Iowa documented similar experiences:

— One news report noted, “Public Information officer for the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Greg Buelow, tells Iowa’s News Now, there’s been no statistically significant increase in calls for domestic violence since the Governor’s Public Health Emergency Proclamation.” (4)

— The same picture emerged in Des Moines: “Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesperson for the Des Moines Police Department, provided Watchdog a mix of the domestic calls that police have responded to in recent days. He called them “garden-variety,” in that none were related specifically to coronavirus.” (5)

— Similarly, “the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence has not seen a huge growth in calls to its statewide hotline,” according to spokeswoman Lindsay Pingel (6).

The Coalition to End Domestic Violence urges the 38 senators to withdraw their untimely and poorly justified letter. The CEDV emphasizes the need for partner abuse programs that are grounded in science and research, not gender ideology.

Citations: