Rep. Schneider Marks Women’s Equality Day

In marking of Women’s Equality Day, U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement.

“We’ve made great progress in the nearly 100 years since women were granted the right to vote, but there remains important work to do,” Schneider said. “Women still earn less than their male counterparts for equal work, women’s access to critical health care services is still threatened and too many women still struggle to get the maternity and sick leave their deserve. Women’s Equality Day serves as an important reminder of the need to continue fighting to ensure equal pay for equal work, the ability to make health care decisions free of government intrusion and the security to take paid family and sick leave.” 

In Congress, Rep. Schneider, a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus, is active in supporting legislation to advance women’s rights and women’s equality, including: 

Working to Ensure Equal Pay for Equal Work: Helped introduce the Paycheck Fairness Act and signed a discharge petition to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.  

Fighting Against Hobby Lobby Decision:  Helped introduce the Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act, which would prohibit for-profit employers from using religious beliefs to deny employees coverage of contraception or any other vital health service required by federal law.

Opposing Effort to Dramatically Limit Women’s Health Care: Voted against H.R. 1797, a measure that would dramatically limit a woman’s right to choose by banning nearly all abortions after 20-weeks. The bill would implement a far-reaching ban on abortion procedures with very narrow exemptions that would effectively dissolve the precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade.

Supporting the Violence Against Women Act: Helped introduce the Violence Against Women (VAWA) Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes federal programs that seek to reduce the instances of domestic violence and provide assistance for victims of abuse and assault. It also increases the number of temporary visas for immigrant victims of domestic abuse and expands VAWA protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims of abuse.

Cosponsoring Legislation to Raise Minimum Wage: Cosponsored the Fair Minimum Wage, which would raise the minimum wage over a period of three years from $7.75 to $10.10 per hour. Women represent more than two thirds of minimum wage workers.

Helping to Introduce Bill to Overturn Global Gag Rule: Helped introduce the Global Democracy Promotion Act, which would overturn the Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, allowing federal funding for family planning program in developing countries that counsel and provide information to women on a full range of options, including abortion.