U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill announced today that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is providing the Missouri Department of Public Safety with a total of $2,655,994 in federal formula grant dollars to fund the STOP Violence Against Women Program in the State of Missouri. The money is being provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
According to the DOJ, this program supports community efforts to hire and retain criminal justice and victim services personnel who respond to violent crimes against women. The STOP program supports economic growth through the creation of new jobs while improving responses to domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
Funding to states and localities through the economic recovery package will be allocated through existing federal programs like these, rather than earmarks, in order to ensure prompt distribution and better accountability. Local projects receive funds from these grants by following the process set up by each program. During Congressional consideration of the economic recovery bill, McCaskill worked to put additional accountability measures in place.
McCaskill believes that federal grants and loans are a positive alternative to earmarks, which in the past have frequently had too little accountability. Competitive merit and need based federal grants and low-interest government loans bring federal assistance to Missouri in an honest and fiscally responsible manner. |
