Action Alert: Working Women and Families Deserve More!

http://www.legalmomentum.org/

Working Women and Families Deserve More!
Call your elected officials today and ask them to stand-up for
struggling women and their families!


January 27: Today the House Democrats unveiled the near-final version of the economic stimulus package known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, with a vote expected as early as tomorrow. While it contains some powerful measures that will support women and families in these trying economic times, it came up short on two fronts.

First, the bill fails to ensure that women will benefit from the investment in infrastructure and the green economy, in that it avoids setting any types of targets for women’s participation in these heavily male-dominated fields.


Second, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was stripped this afternoon of provisions that would make contraceptives more affordable to working women and families. The move was a concession to House Republicans who had been complaining about the small $200 million subsidy, and it means that many low-income women and couples will struggle to afford the means to act responsibly with regard to their families and health. Playing politics with contraception only serves to hurt those who can least afford it.


Please contact your United States Representative and Senators today and:

Ask that the stimulus package include a concrete goal of 25 percent participation by women in infrastructure, green economy, and other non-traditional jobs.

Demand that the stimulus package recognize that access to affordable contraception is key to women’s health and economic security, and ask them to reinstate funding for family planning for poor women.

Working women's issues are no different than those of all working people: getting paid a living wage, finding affordable child care and health care, sending their children to college--in short, having a chance at the American Dream.

Quick action on the economic stimulus package is critical for working families. Women deserve more, however, than we saw today. In order to achieve a truly sustainable economic recovery, we must make a commitment to the entire workforce, and working families most of all.

Please call the U.S.Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask the operator to connect you to your Senators and Representative.

Thank you for supporting working women and families.

Sincerely,
Irasema Garza
President, Legal Momentum

About Legal Momentum
Founded in 1970 as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, Legal Momentum is the nation's oldest legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls.

New York: 395 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
Washington D.C.: 1101 14th Street, NW, Ste 300, Washington, DC 20005
http://www.legalmomentum.org/