Judiciary Democrats Demand DOJ Halt Unlawful Plan to Further Undermine Critical Public Safety Grant Programs

Washington, D.C. (July 15, 2026)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Lucy McBath, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, are demanding that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche immediately halt the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) reported plan to consolidate the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), warning that the move is outside of the law and would undermine public safety. The Ranking Members noted that the proposed change would conflict with federal statute and clear Congressional intent, and also cited concerns expressed by key stakeholders affected by the change, including those who represent law enforcement officers.

“We call on the Department to immediately cease this illegal plan which would reduce the effectiveness of federal public safety efforts and is opposed by stakeholders including law enforcement, violence prevention organizations, and those who support victims of domestic violence. This consolidation threatens to further undermine vital grant programs that have already been hampered by unjustified award terminations, uncertainty, and delays,” wrote the Ranking Members.

OJP, OVW, and the COPS Office each serve distinct and crucial roles in protecting public safety. OJP supports programs that reduce crime, assist victims, promote just prosecutions, and improve corrections and reentry. The COPS Office provides information, technical assistance, training, and grant resources to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies. OVW was established by Congress to reduce and address crimes against women.

The Department’s proposed consolidation conflicts with federal law and congressional intent requiring OVW to remain a “separate and distinct” office within DOJ and prohibiting it from being subsumed by another office. The plan also disregards repeated statutory guidance from Congress that directs DOJ to maintain OVW and the COPS Office as distinct organizational grantmaking entities.

The consolidation plan comes as DOJ grant programs have already faced significant delays and uncertainty. Numerous FY26 Notices of Funding Opportunities remain unreleased despite congressional direction to publish them within 90 days, leaving community-based organizations, local governments, victim service providers, and public safety partners unable to effectively plan for the future. 

The House Judiciary Committee has repeatedly heard from grantees across the country—including law enforcement organizations, domestic violence prevention advocates, and community violence prevention organizations—that delays in funding opportunities and uncertainty surrounding the administration of federal grant programs have disrupted their ability to maintain critical services and plan for future needs.

Ranking Members Raskin and McBath are asking that DOJ end any effort to consolidate OJP, OVW, and COPS and are requesting answers from DOJ regarding the justification and legal basis for the consolidation, stakeholder engagement efforts, impacts on grant programs, staffing changes, and the timeline for awarding grants and releasing delayed funding. 

Click here to read the letter.