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R Street Supports Toomey Amendment to Limit Crime Victims Fund Budget Gimmick

by William Gray
July 20, 2021
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issues: Budget and Spending Reform, Federal Government Affairs, Governance
WASHINGTON (July 20, 2021)––The R Street Institute urges all senators to support Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-Pa) Amendment #2121 to H.R. 1652, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021. This amendment would limit the use of the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) as a budget-gimmick to pay for unrelated spending and preserve funding for its intended use: crime victim compensation and assistance.

Jonathan Bydlak, director of R Street’s Governance Program, stated, “Congress’ relentless abuse of budgetary gimmicks and sleight-of-hand to avoid dealing with our growing spending crisis is a serious problem. But the ongoing misuse of funds set aside to help victims of crimes is particularly offensive. H.R. 1652 would significantly boost funding in the CVF. It is essential that safeguards be established to ensure these funds get to those who need them most, not be used to offset wasteful spending. This is something everyone should be able to agree on, regardless of party affiliation or fiscal perspective.”

Background

During the Senate Budget Committee mark-up of S. 2765, the Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act, in the 116th Congress—an amendment offered by Senator Toomey to “curtail the use of CHIMPs [Changes in Mandatory Programs] affecting the Crime Victims Fund to inflate spending”—received bipartisan support and was agreed to by voice vote.

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