Carnahan Recognized With National Award As Champion For Women And Working Families

July 25, 2012

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO) was honored today by being named “Best of Congress” by Corporate Voices for Working Families and Working Mother Media, for the third straight session of Congress. Rep. Carnahan was recognized for his leadership in improving the lives of working families

“Working mothers face the challenges we all must meet in the workplace, while they juggle the requirements of feeding, educating, comforting and encouraging the greatest resource our nation has -- our children,” said Rep. Carnahan. “To be honored for the third time as a champion of family and women’s issues is a wonderful affirmation of the lessons my mom taught me and the efforts I’ve made to apply those to my work in Washington.”

In addition to spotlighting Congressional excellence in supporting working families through legislation and advocacy, the Best of Congress awards recognize those lawmakers who demonstrate their commitment on a personal level by actively promoting family-friendly policies for their own Congressional staff.

“These members of Congress stand as role models for what can be accomplished through a combination of legislation and a personal commitment to policies that benefit working families. Through their actions, they are improving the quality of life for working parents nationwide,” said Hon. Patricia Schroeder, former Congresswoman from Colorado.

Recipients of the Best of Congress Award are profiled in the August/September 2012 issue of Working Mother magazine and at workingmother.com. Their model workplace policies are detailed by Corporate Voices, and will be promoted as practices to emulate in materials provided to new members of the 113th session of Congress in January.

Earlier this session, Rep. Carnahan continued working to improve the lives of working families by introducing the Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2011. As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Carnahan was made aware that the wives and husbands of servicemembers are forced to reacquire professional licenses when moving from state to state. The Military Spouse Job Continuity Act would allow up to $500 in tax credits to offset the cost of the new licensure.

Rep. Carnahan is also a longstanding champion of efforts to combat violence against women, both here and around the world. For the second Congress in a row, Rep. Carnahan is an original cosponsor of the International Violence Against Women Act, which would require the U.S. Government to create a comprehensive strategy to combat violence against women and girls abroad, especially in conflict situations.

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