Washington, D.C. – One day after U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release six months’ worth of the more than $16 million awarded to the state of Nevada to assist survivors of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival Massacre, the Department freed the funds provided through the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP).
“Two years ago, Las Vegas experienced the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. Survivors and families who lost their loved ones are still dealing with the physical and emotional scars from this tragedy, and they depend on Nevada’s dedicated service providers for the resources and support they need to heal,” said the senators. “We’ll continue working to hold this Administration accountable for the timely release of survivor assistance.”
The senators’ letter, dated January 15, 2020, explained that releasing the AEAP funds would give service providers the certainty they need to continue supporting the individuals and families affected by this tragic mass shooting.
Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
Dear Attorney General Barr,
We are writing to request that the Department of Justice (DOJ) expedite its release of funds awarded to the state of Nevada through the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP). Delays in distributing these funds are hindering the ability of service providers to assist survivors and family members impacted by the worst mass shooting in modern American history.
The shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on October 1, 2017 was devastating to Las Vegas, the entire state of Nevada, and thousands of visitors from around the country. Fifty-nine people were killed and more than 600 were wounded in a senseless act of mass violence. Two years later, the community is still doing all it can to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.
Nevada was grateful for the DOJ’s November 2018 announcement of more than $16 million for AEAP funding to assist victims of this crime. However, we understand that the grant’s funding for July through December 2019 has not yet been released by DOJ. This delay is harming service providers’ ability to plan, hire, and provide needed assistance to the community.
Survivors and family members from across the state of Nevada rely on AEAP funding to access essential services. Ensuring that grant funding is released in a timely manner so that these services continue to be available is a top priority for us. We would appreciate a response to this letter or a briefing on the subject by January 29, 2020. Thank you for your attention to this matter.