Results tagged “carolyn maloney” from Blog for Choice

Ali Tweedt is a member of NARAL Pro-Choice America's communications and online advocacy strategies department.

This time last year, I went to Capitol Hill to watch a hearing on the no-cost birth-control policy under the Affordable Care Act.

The only pro-choice witness who came to speak in support of the policy, Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke, was denied the chance to testify at anti-choice Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-CA) now-infamous all-male panel attacking contraceptive coverage.

Rep. Issa refused to let Sandra testify about the importance of no-cost birth control because she was "unqualified."

I was fortunate to attend that hearing, and I'll never forget the look of complete disbelief from Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) as she walked out of the hearing in protest, demanding an answer to the obvious question:

"Where are the women?"

Pro-choice members of Congress made sure Sandra was not silenced. On February 23, 2012, they held their own hearing so that she could finally share her testimony. I remember sitting in that room captivated while listening to Sandra tell the stories of women whose lives depended on affordable birth control.

Sandra's testimony in support of birth-control coverage - and the personal attacks she endured because she dared to speak out on this critical issue - helped galvanize pro-choice Americans to fight back against the War on Women.

Rush Limbaugh sank to a new low when he called her a "slut" and a "prostitute." Despite his anti-choice attacks, Sandra Fluke became a household name as a champion for women's freedom and privacy by giving a voice to the many women who struggle to pay for birth control they desperately need:

"This is the message that not requiring coverage of contraception sends: a woman's reproductive-health care isn't a necessity, isn't a priority."

One year ago, Sandra Fluke took a stand in support of women's access to no-cost birth-control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. And today, we continue the fight to ensure that all women have access to the essential reproductive-health care that they deserve.

Stand up for the no-cost birth-control policy by taking action to protect women's health.

On Sunday, hundreds of pro-choice bloggers and activists took to the Internet to share the ways in which they planned to help elect pro-choice champions this year.

This morning, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC took one key step toward making 2012 a year of pro-choice victories at the polls.

NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC is proud to endorse 20 of the greatest champions of choice in the U.S. House of Representatives.

From California:

Rep. Lois Capps 

Rep. Judy Chu 

Rep. Barbara Lee 

Rep. Nancy Pelosi 

Rep. Jackie Speier 

Rep. Henry Waxman

From Colorado:

Rep. Diana DeGette

From Connecticut:

Rep. Rosa DeLauro

From Florida:

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

From Illinois:

Rep. Mike Quigley 

Rep. Jan Schakowsky

From Maryland:

Rep. Donna Edwards 

Rep. Steny Hoyer

From my home state of New York:

Rep. Joe Crowley 

Rep. Steve Israel 

Rep. Nita Lowey 

Rep. Carolyn Maloney 

Rep. Jerry Nadler 

Rep. Louise Slaughter

From Wisconsin:

Rep. Gwen Moore

These 20 pro-choice heroes have consistently stood up against the anti-choice House leadership's War on Women.

In addition, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC proudly endorses two other pro-choice champions from the House who will take their support of women's freedom and privacy to the U.S. Senate:

Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada

Here's what Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said at a breakfast honoring these pro-choice leaders:

Our priority is to elect pro-choice champions and defeat opponents of women's freedom and privacy. We are prepared for campaign battle in 2012 and will mobilize our one million member activists in support of candidates who will stand with our allies in countering legislative attacks on a woman's right to choose.

Twenty-two pro-choice champions, and 22 more ways we'll stop the War on Women in 2012.

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

Americans are fortunate to have strong leaders like Rep. Maloney and Sen. Lautenberg who believe in guaranteeing women's access to contraception.

The concept is simple: Women should be able to walk into a pharmacy and leave with the medication they need. It is mind boggling that the same people who attack legal abortion also want to block women's access to contraception, which is one of the best ways to prevent unintended pregnancy and thus reduce the need for abortion.

We applaud Rep. Maloney's and Sen. Menendez' continued leadership in making sure women are not misled about their health-care options. It's time for Congress to step in and hold these fake "clinics" accountable. Even though we may have differences of opinion on abortion, Americans value honesty in advertising. We should all agree that a woman should not be misled or manipulated when she's facing an unintended pregnancy.

This bill will force anti-choice lawmakers to go on the record as to whether they believe that women who put their lives on the line for their country should face more obstacles than women stateside when it comes to making personal, private decisions.