Women made tremendous economic, political, and social advances during the 20th century, but are far from enjoying true gender equality. Women continue to face many obstacles in our society that, as a man, I will never face. I am committed to working towards policy changes that support and encourage parity for our mothers, daughters, and sisters in critical areas such as health, employment, earnings, poverty, work and family policies, and violence.  

Healthcare

I believe providing comprehensive healthcare for the specific needs of women requires unique collaborations and unwavering, relentless dedication.  That is why I led the charge against the Komen Foundation’s initial decision to end its partnership with Planned Parenthood health clinics.  We all know of the tireless work that Susan G. Komen has done since its inception, providing hope, raising nearly $2 billion, and educating us all about breast cancer. Similarly, Planned Parenthood is a trusted leader in breast cancer preventive care, helping tens of thousands of women identify breast cancer early when there is the best chance of successful treatment. In fact, Planned Parenthood doctors and nurses provided nearly 750,000 clinical breast exams to women last year, helping countless women detect breast cancer. 

I joined the chorus of voices asking the Komen Foundation to reverse this decision, and led a letter signed by many of my colleagues asking for their continued steadfast commitment to fighting breast cancer, even in the face of politically charged attacks against Planned Parenthood.

Thankfully, in the end, the Susan G. Komen Foundation decided to reverse its decision and continue to allow Planned Parenthood health centers to receive grants. I strongly believe that something as universally important as women’s health should not be politicized and used to stake out political positions on social issues.

Further, I remain committed to provisions in the Affordable Care Act that would prohibit sex-based discrimination in health insurance costs. Being a woman is not a preexisting condition, and I will stand against any efforts to return to the status quo that would cost women $1 billion a year through gender-rating. 

Reproductive Rights

I am committed to ensuring access to comprehensive sex education, birth control, and safe and legal abortion. I believe that women, families, and the country would be better off if we could reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. That is why I supported the decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to include contraceptive coverage as an essential benefit, which required coverage by health insurance companies. One of the key benefits of the Affordable Care Act is increasing access to medically-recommended preventive services without a co-pay. As part of a thorough and exhaustive review, the prestigious Institute of Medicine recommended that birth control should be considered part of preventive health care. Not only is the right social policy in line with our country’s pursuit to end gender discrimination, it makes the most economic sense as well.

Further, I have previously cosponsored the Prevention First Act, which would provide comprehensive family planning services, expand teenage pregnancy prevention services, and provide equity in insurance coverage of prescription contraception drugs, devices, and outpatient services. I have also cosponsored the Responsible Education About Life Act which would provide federal money to support responsible sex education in schools. This education would include science-based, medically accurate, and age appropriate public health information about both abstinence and contraception.

Poverty, Employment, and Earnings

Despite tremendous strides, American women continue to earn less, are less likely to own a business, and are more likely to live in poverty than American men. On January 9th, 2009 as one of the very first legislative actions of the 111th Congress, the House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 12, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, H.R. 11, simultaneously. The Paycheck Fairness Act will revise enforcement prohibitions against sex discrimination in wage payments and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will ensure the continued protection the right of workers to pursue pay discrimination claims against employers who seek to illegally deny them fair pay. The bill is a common sense response to the Supreme Court’s narrow ruling in the Ledbetter vs. Goodyear case, which ignored the realities of the workplace. It recognizes that employees generally do not know enough about what their co-workers earn, or how pay decisions are made, to file a complaint precisely when discrimination first occurs.

Work and Family

Workplace policies and practices that reflect the changing nature of the workforce have the potential to play an important role for all workers. Women are active participants in the labor market, and often are fulfilling multiple roles – as workers, mothers, and caregivers for aging parents.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 59 million workers do not have paid sick leave and nearly 86 million workers do not have paid sick leave to care for sick children. Paid sick leave allows workers to take the time needed to care for themselves and for their family members without decreasing their family’s income or risk losing their jobs. Therefore, I am a proud co-sponsor of numerous family and medical leave protection and expansion bills which would provide family and medical need assistance, child care assistance, in-school and after school assistance, family care assistance, and support for the establishment of family-friendly workplaces for working families.

Violence against Women

Stopping violence against women is an issue of vital concern for all of us. For the past decade, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has served as a landmark piece of legislation that has provided aid to women, men, and children experiencing violence. VAWA programs and services have changed and improved our nation’s response to violence at every level. Since 1994, VAWA funding has provided rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, and law enforcement agencies with the expertise and services they need to do the work of prevention and protection of those affected by violence.

I believe in protecting and expanding these essential services, which is why I’ve introduced the Domestic Violence Judicial Support Act of 2012. The specialized training and resources provided under this bill helps train judges to understand the dynamics of domestic violence in child custody cases through the Violence Against Women Act Court Training and Improvement Program.