Ending Abuse

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, over 10 million people annually. These survivors face innumerable barriers to escaping their situation; we must make it much easier to leave an abuser, find safety, and retain financial security for survivors.

1. SAFER Act Create and fully fund a functional, accountable federal program to house, support, and provide mental health treatment to all individuals impacted by domestic violence, trauma, and partner/child abuse - the SAFER Act (Stop Abuse; Fund Emanicpatory Resources) ​ 2. Credit Protection Pass federal legislation that allows victims of abuse to exit a lease without financial or credit repercussions. ​ 3. Clear the Backlog Mandate and fund testing the entire backlog of rape kits possessed by every law enforcement agency in the US. 4. Expand Funding Dramatically expand funding to agencies like Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services, and domestic violence shelters to address the enormous shortfall these critical social services currently face. 5. Intervention Threshold Lower the legal threshold for intervention by the state on behalf of abused and neglected children;. The current high burden of proof is more a result of inadequate resources than any scientific understanding of what abuse actually is. ​ 6. Visa Protection Federally audit enforcement of protections for immigrants who want to leave their engagements/marriages due to abuse so nobody has to choose between an abuser and deportation.