Week of January 26, 2005
Bush rallies anti-choice supporters
Saturday, January 22, marked the 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark court decision that legalized women's rights to reproductive freedom. To commemorate the occasion, pro-choice supporters gathered on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Saturday evening to raise awareness of impending threats to reproductive rights from the Bush Administration.
In response, anti-choice demonstrators rallied in Washington, D.C., for the annual anti-choice march on Monday. President Bush phoned in his support for marchers saying, "I encourage you to take heart from our achievements, because a true culture of life cannot be sustained solely by changing laws." Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) echoed the President's remarks adding, "I can stand here today and say that the end of abortion on demand has started."
Plan B for Plan B – FDA stalls on approval
Bowing to political pressure once again, the FDA postponed its decision to grant over-the-counter (OTC) access to emergency contraception, also know as Plan B.
Last May, the FDA denied OTC status for Plan B even though two advisory panels determined Plan B was safe and effective. The FDA was also hesitant to grant OTC access to Plan B to women under 16. In response to FDA concerns, last summer, the manufacturer of Plan B, Barr Pharmaceuticals, re-submitted a request to restrict OTC access to girls and women 16 and older and requiring a prescription for younger girls. The FDA had been expected to issue its decision this month.
The FDA has come under heavy fire by women's rights groups who support increased access to Plan B. Dr. Beth Jordan, the medical director for the Feminist Majority Foundation, accused the FDA of "play[ing] politics with women's lives," while the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a suit against the FDA, claiming that the agency failed "to follow its own procedures."
Pelosi stands up to Social Security "Reform"
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and 26 other Democratic Congresswomen are protesting the unfair changes in Social Security benefits recently suggested by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA). Thomas suggested that, since women statistically live longer than men, they should receive lower Social Security benefits.
Pelosi, along with Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Gwen Moore (D-WI) and others quickly responded by issuing a statement reminding Thomas that "Social Security helps level the playing field for women," who oftentimes make less money than their male co-workers. The letter also warned that slashing women's benefits "would make it even harder for them to achieve financial security in retirement" and that "without Social Security, 52 percent of white women, 65 percent of African American women, and 61 percent of Hispanic women over the age of 65 would live in poverty."
Bravo to these congresswomen for standing up for gender equity. This is a perfect example of EMILY's List pro-choice Democratic women taking action: 25 of the 26 congresswomen who co-signed this letter with Pelosi have been supported by EMILY's List in the past.
Washington Women Rule: Gregoire, Cantwell, and Murray Featured in Newsweek
In a recent article, Newsweek reporter Karen Breslau chronicles the power of pro-choice Democratic women holding office in Washington state. Washington is the first and only state where the top three elected officials are women. Breslau analyzes the success of newly-elected Governor Christine Gregoire and U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, all of whom were elected with help from EMILY's List members.
Washington State has a history of embracing progressive politics, explaining that women's "contributions were respected from the beginning." The Evergreen State boasts an impressive lineage of women in leadership roles; the nation's first "female, big-city mayor," Bertha K. Landes took office in 1926 and the state's first female governor, Dixie Lee Ray, was elected in 1976. However, today's women leaders - Gregoire, Cantwell, and Murray - are seen as "the big breakthrough" in Washington politics, as they launched themselves from concerned citizens into top political positions.