AMW Safety Center

AMW Safety Center

When members of Congress set aside partisanship and came together to pass the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act last year, they stood up for the safety of our kids. One of the big things that helped them overcome their political differences was the pressure that you put on them. By the thousands, you let your representatives in Washington know how important it is to you that we have a solid, national sex offender registry in place, one that can be enforced so that law enforcement—and all of us—can keep track of the creeps who might prey on children.

I’ve talked before about the wonderful, bittersweet day last July that President Bush signed the Adam Walsh Act into law in the Rose Garden at the White House. It was the 25th anniversary of my son’s abduction and murder, and I knew the law we’d all fought so hard to get passed was going to help make sure other families wouldn’t have to live through what mine has. But the battle is far from over. And once again, I’m asking you to let your representatives know how you feel.

Although the Adam Walsh Act was passed and signed into law, Congress has yet to approve the funding to implement it. I know that when it comes to the budget, there are always tough decisions to make. But as long as there are predators out there targeting innocent children and destroying lives, this decision ought to be an easy one. Without the full funding that the Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Committee recommends, the Adam Walsh Act is just a good idea.

There are people on Capitol Hill fighting the good fight for us, and I believe that anyone who steps up to the plate when it comes to protecting our children ought to be recognized. So it’s my pleasure to offer my thanks and praise to Senator Barbara Mikulski and Senator Richard Shelby. They’re working hard to add this critical funding to the federal budget. Senators Mikulski and Shelby were the first lawmakers to stand with me and call on Congress to provide the money that will make the difference in protecting kids from the predators who slip through the cracks. Under the law named for my son, sex offenders who fail to register are committing a federal crime. With the leadership of Senators Mikulski and Shelby in the Senate and Representatives Alan Mollohan and Rodney Frelinghuysen in the House, the U.S. Marshals Service will have the funding it needs to hunt down the lowlifes who think they can beat the system, making sure that they face justice—and are kept away from our children.

Please join me in calling on Congress to come together again to approve the appropriations bill that lets the Adam Walsh Act do what it’s intended to do. You made your voices heard in Washington and helped get this important law passed, and I can’t thank you enough. Now, let’s make sure Congress knows we’re still watching. Let your representatives know that nothing is more important than the safety of our children, and ask them to support full funding for the Adam Walsh Act.