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ACTION ALERT: PLEASE CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Congress Considers Recognizing Sexual Assault Month

The Senate has just passed a bill that would, for the first time, officially recognize April as National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month. This recognition would raise the profile of the issue and lead to more media coverage, public awareness, and legislative action. That's why we need your help.

Before the bill becomes law, the House needs to pass it. Please call your Representative in the House today and ask her or him to cosponsor this important resolution.

Nobody is opposed to this bill, but the House has lots to do and only two legislative days left this month. The only way to guarantee they deal with it and bring it up for a vote is if they hear from you and other constituents. If you tell them this bill is a priority, there's a much better chance of securing a vote.

Here's what to do:

1. If you're not sure who your Representative is, you can find the name and phone number here: www.visi.com/juan/congress/

2. If you already know who represents you, just call 202-225-3121 and ask for him or her by name. The Capitol switchboard will connect you to a staff member in that office.

3. Once you've been connected to the appropriate office, ask to speak to the staffer who handles violence against women issues.

4. Here's a sample script for once you're connected (if the staffer is not available, please leave the message on voicemail).

"I'm a constituent from (name your city/county) and want to ask Rep. X to cosponsor the resolution to designate April as National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month. The resolution number is H.J. Res. 36. The Senate has already passed this bill, and we need the House to act before the end of April. Please do what you can to make sure the resolution is brought up for a vote. This means a lot to me. It will increase attention to sexual assault and will help our efforts to fight rape. Thank you for considering this request.

5. That's it-short and easy. It will only take you about two minutes to make the call. In that time, one more woman in America will be sexually assaulted. Please take the time to help.

Download a copy of the National Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month resolution here. For more information or to volunteer to help get this bill passed, email RAINN at [email protected].


PAST RAINN NEWS COLUMNS:


The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. With a national perspective and broad reach, RAINN is a trusted resource for media, policymakers and the public. Additionally, RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE. Comprised of more than 1,000 local affiliates, the hotline has helped more than half a million victims of sexual assault since 1994. For more information, please visit the RAINN website at www.rainn.org


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