Results tagged “Jon Tester” from Blog for Choice

While everyone is waiting with bated breath for the presidential election, we aren't forgetting the importance of the U.S. Senate elections.

The Senate is critical in the fight to defend the right to choose, so we must protect every senator who fights for women's freedom and privacy. Right now, there are only 40 reliably pro-choice votes in that chamber. It takes 41 to block bad legislation.

Back in 2006, NARAL Pro-Choice America's PAC was thrilled to endorse Montana Sen. Jon Tester for election. We're excited to stand with him again in 2012 as he runs for re-election!

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, joined volunteers to make calls in support of Sen. Jon Tester!

Sen. Tester has proven to be a pro-choice leader time and again. He's voted against defunding Planned Parenthood which would deny millions of Americans access to contraception, cancer screenings, and other basic medical care.

He also voted against a spending bill that would cut funding for contraception and cancer screenings, and eliminate family-planning programs for the world's poorest women.

Right now, Sen. Tester is locked in a tight race against an anti-choice opponent Rep. Denny Rehberg (R). Rep. Rehberg has a terrible record on choice.

In 2011, Rep. Rehberg voted twice to defund Planned Parenthood. He also voted to allow hospitals to deny emergency abortion care to women who could die without it.

These extreme anti-choice policies are completely out of touch with the needs and values of Montana women.

This race is personal for NARAL Pro-Choice America. When our own Nancy Keenan ran for Congress in 2000, she was narrowly defeated by Rehberg.

If you have friends in Montana, urge them to vote for the pro-choice candidate who will fight for women's freedom and privacy: Sen. Jon Tester.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Allow me to introduce the newest member of our anti-choice "Hall of Shame." In case you haven't heard of this guy yet, meet Sheldon Adelson.

This billionaire casino magnate from Las Vegas has already given more than $35 million to groups attacking our pro-choice champions like Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

NARAL Pro-Choice America fought to elect these pro-choice senators, who went on to defeat anti-choice incumbents in 2006. Now, Sheldon Adelson and his political "hit man," Karl Rove, are going after them with hundreds of thousands of dollars in attack ads.

Adelson and his wife have also pledged $10 million to the Romney Super PAC that is running attack ads to defeat pro-choice President Obama in November and support the anti-choice candidate Mitt Romney.

As long as billionaires like Sheldon Adelson try to buy elections, NARAL Pro-Choice America and our progressive allies will be calling them out and working to defeat their millions of dollars with our millions of voters.

You will not gamble with our rights, Mr. Adelson. They are not for sale.

Montanans call their state the "last best place," and if you've ever been there, you know why. Montana is home to majestic mountains, clear lakes, and wide prairies.

It's also home to some strong pro-choice leaders, including Gov. Brian Schweitzer and U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus.

Last week, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America and a native of Anaconda, Mont., visited her home state.

She joined activists from NARAL Pro-Choice Montana in thanking Gov. Schweitzer and Sens. Tester and Baucus at rallies in Helena and Missoula.

Last year, Gov. Schweitzer stood up against an anti-choice legislature and blocked four anti-choice measures from becoming law. Because of this, we honored Gov. Schweitzer (along with Gov. Mark Dayton of Minnesota) by dedicating our Who Decides? report to them.

Montanans are lucky to have a pro-choice governor and two pro-choice U.S. senators!

That's why Nancy called for the re-election of Sen. Tester and another governor women can count on to reject extreme anti-choice attacks.

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice America, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

The great state of Montana has a proud pro-choice tradition. The Treasure State has two pro-choice U.S. senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, and it received an A- grade in last year's Who Decides? report.

But Rep. Dennis Rehberg, Montana's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives? Not such a treasure. He's been a loyal foot soldier in House Speaker John Boehner's War on Women.

Fortunately, pro-choice Montanans are not ones to keep quiet in the face of attacks on their freedom and privacy.

Julianna Crowley, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Montana, wrote an op-ed in The Montana Standard blasting Rep. Rehberg's attacks on a woman's right to make personal, private medical decisions:

As a woman who would be directly affected by the anti-choice policies Rep. Rehberg supports, I am offended and disappointed that Rep. Rehberg dismisses freedom and privacy -- two values that we Montanans hold dear.

Rep. Rehberg's actions reflect his lack of respect for women's ability to make private medical decisions with our doctors.

Recently, Rep. Rehberg cosponsored and voted for H.R.358, the "Let Women Die" bill. Shockingly, H.R.358 would allow hospitals to refuse to provide a woman emergency, lifesaving abortion care, even if she will die without it. In addition, the bill would ban insurance coverage of abortion in state health-insurance exchanges, denying abortion coverage to millions of women.

Montanans need to let Rep. Rehberg know that his obsession with attacking choice--at the expense of addressing our economic challenges--is out of touch with our values and priorities.

Thanks, Julianna, for spreading the word on Rep. Rehberg's terrible record!

Planned Parenthood provided me with a supportive environment and education regarding birth control and other protective and preventative services that I did not (and perhaps could not) receive from other sources - including my primary care provider at the time. Because of Planned Parenthood I remain healthy, protected, and the master of my own body and my future. Defunding PP would counter-productive, irresponsible, and absolutely dangerous. There is nothing that could replace PP as effectively, and there are few institutions as important in the fight to reduce unwanted pregnancies (and thus abortions), and to provide all women with the services they need.