Congressman Cohen to Budget Negotiators: Include $5 Million to Fight Rape Kit Backlog in Gov't Funding Bill

Press Release

With time running out for this Congress to pass a budget for next year, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today led a coalition of 18 Members of Congress in urging appropriators to include in their forthcoming budget compromise bill $5 million aimed at cutting through the backlog of untested rape kits that he secured in the House-passed Fiscal Year 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill. In May, an amendment authored by Congressman Cohen to add this important funding passed the House on a voice vote. The same funding level was approved just a week later by the Senate Appropriations Committee and now awaits action in the full Senate.

"Absolutely no one should be a victim of sexual assault, but it is a travesty when communities are terrorized simply because evidence that could be used to prevent these crimes sits untested on a shelf somewhere," said Congressman Cohen. "We know that, if tested, these rape kits could have helped catch perpetrators and prevent additional attacks. We must do more to cut through this backlog--it's the least we can do to give victims the justice they deserve and it is an imperative if we want to keep our communities safe from predators. My provision to provide additional funding to reduce the rape kit backlog is a step in the right direction, and it should be included in next year's budget."

Untested rape kits are a significant public safety hazard that prevents law enforcement from apprehending violent criminals, increases the risk of additional crimes, and robs victims of the justice they deserve. Congressman Cohen authored a deficit-neutral provision to transfer $5 million in federal funds to a new grant program focused specifically on helping law enforcement agencies cut through their sexual assault kit backlogs. The additional funding would increase the grant program's budget by nearly 15%, from $36 million to $41 million, and increase Memphis' chance of receiving the funding necessary to significantly reduce its current backlog, which has been described as the largest in the nation.

Joining Congressman Cohen in signing his letter to appropriators today are Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), David Cicilline (RI-01), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Elijah Cummings (MD-07), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Steve Israel (NY-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Kerek Kilmer (WA-06), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-51), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

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