Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation, and I extend my praise to the distinguished gentlewoman from Missouri who has demonstrated a remarkable initiative and high octane energy in organizing the House of Representatives behind it. We are grateful to her for her efforts and also to Mrs. McBath, who is the ranking member on our Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee for her efforts in always making sure that we put crime victims first. When we have a crime and there is a prosecution, it is State v. defendant or people v. defendant, but what is left out of that is the victim, and she always makes sure that we keep the victims very much in our sights, in our minds, and in our hearts.

The Crime Victims Fund has been significantly depleted, resulting in a $630 million cut to victim services in fiscal year 2024. Deposits into the fund have dropped dramatically since 2018. From 2008 to 2017, deposits were, on average, $2.56 billion annually. From 2008 through 2023, annual deposits averaged only $737 million.

So that is much greater than a 50 percent drop. There are different reasons for this that we need to analyze and address, but in the meantime, the consequences for VOCA grants are devastating.

These grants are the primary source of Federal funding for thousands of victim service providers across America, including programs serving victims of human trafficking, drunk driving, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. These are our people, our family members, and our community members who are suffering who need the help.

VOCA grants are funded by the statutorily created Crime Victims Fund, which is supported by criminal fines, assessments, and penalties paid for by convicted Federal offenders. However, these are being progressively wiped away. Without congressional action, victim service providers will be forced to make more dramatic cuts to critical services while many others will simply have to close their doors.

In order to stabilize the balance of the fund and prevent further cuts, H.R. 909 would add unobligated funds from actions brought under the False Claims Act to the sources of revenue that are deposited into the Fund. Deposits would be made into the Crime Victims Fund only after whistleblowers and defrauded Federal agencies are paid first and other preexisting obligations are satisfied.

This is a temporary change that will give Congress time to assess its overall efficacy and conduct robust review before deciding whether to renew, adopt an alternative remedy, or create a permanent, long-term fix.

Mr. Speaker, I suppose you could say this is a Band-Aid solution, but having cut my finger recently, I like Band-Aid solutions. Band-Aids are necessary sometimes to stop the bleeding, and I think that is where we are right now. We have an obligation to the millions of victims of crime across the country who rely on the services made possible by the Crime Victims Fund.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 909, and I hope all my colleagues will do the same.

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