The $45 Million CARES Act Heist: Congressional Appropriators Should Not Reward Abuse Falsehoods

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Contact: Rebecca Stewart

Telephone: 513-479-3335

The $45 Million CARES Act Heist: Congressional Appropriators Should Not Reward Abuse Falsehoods

WASHINGTON / July 23, 2020 – In March, domestic violence groups began to issue warnings of an impending “surge” in partner abuse. Based on these claims, Congress allocated $45 million to assist domestic violence shelters. But these claims turned out to be untruthful. Congressional appropriators must now consider appropriate remedial measures.

On March 23, the National Task Force (NTF) to End Sexual and Domestic Violence issued a “Letter to Congress RE: Urgent Needs of DV/SA Survivors During Coronavirus Disease.” (1) The NTF letter made three key claims:

Extreme Danger and Risk: Asserting that the home is “typically an unsafe place,” the letter concluded, “Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are facing extreme danger and risk.”

But in New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, this prediction did not come to pass. According to one media account, “The New York City Police Department said that reports of domestic violence have ‘progressively declined’ since the onset of the pandemic. The crimes fell nearly 15% last month compared to March 2019.” And Melinda Katz, district attorney in Queens, reported, “domestic violence arrests have fallen nearly 40%.” (2)

Nationwide, police officials reported a decline in domestic violence service calls in 11 cities, 19 locales saw level numbers, and only three out of 33 offices reported an increase of 10% or more (3).

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Army registered a dramatic drop in the number of domestic violence cases nationwide: “There were 126 total domestic abuse incidents reported in May, compared to a high of 561 incidents reported in January. The months of April and March had the second and third lowest rates of reported incidents in the past year, as well.” (4)

Overburdened Abuse Shelters: The National Task Force pointedly warned, “shelters and victim service organizations are now grappling with the unprecedented challenge of communally housing and providing services for survivors.”

In fact, demand for abuse shelters declined significantly during the coronavirus outbreak. A CNBC report revealed, “Domestic violence programs and shelters in New York….are seeing a decline in at-risk clients as people stay at home to prevent the spread of the outbreak.” (5) One article described the “quiet phones at some South Florida police agencies and shelters for the abused…Family lawyers are reporting fewer calls to their offices related to problems in the home.” (6) One article plaintively asked, “Why Are There So Many Empty Beds in Domestic Violence Shelters?” (7)

Female Victimization: The National Task Force repeatedly highlighted female vulnerability: ”Domestic violence and sexual assault disproportionately impact women,” the NTF asserted. The Letter made no mention of male victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.

But the NTF claims are factually wrong. According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year there are 4.2 million male victims, compared to only 3.5 million female victims of domestic violence (8). In Shreveport, Louisiana, Jenalisha Lawrence recently was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of her boyfriend. She surrendered to investigators this past Monday and is now in police custody (9).

The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Violence Survey also reports that sexual violence is a major problem for men. From 2010 to 2012, an average of 1.7 million men were “made to sexually penetrate,” compared to 1.5 million women who were raped each year (10).

Commenting on the CDC numbers, columnist Wendy McElroy recently noted, “Violence only has individuals who abuse and individuals who are abused. Excluding women or men from either category shows a willful blindness to reality. It expresses political self-interest, not justice.” (11)

The National Task Force letter, endorsed by 147 abuse organizations around the country, was delivered to all members of Congress on March 23. The letter demanded “at least” $402 million in additional funding for a variety of abuse programs.

Four days later, the President signed into law the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, which allocated $45 million for domestic violence programs (12).

Congressional appropriators are now debating the funding levels for a number of domestic violence programs for the upcoming year. In light of the disingenuous and harmful claims made in March, members of Congress should consider reducing funding levels for domestic violence programs for FY 2021.

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