I have sponsored, co-sponsored, and voted for many bills that help all women.  Here are some examples:

• I co-sponsored and voted for H.R. 11, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 stating that the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination resets with each new discriminatory paycheck.
• I co-sponsored H.J. Res. 61, which proposes an amendment to the Constitution of the United States establishing equal rights for men and women. This constitutional amendment prohibits denying or abridging equality of rights under the law by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
• I co-sponsored H.R. 2744, the Equal Rights for Health Care Act. This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status against any person in the United States under any health care service or research program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, including Medicare and Medicaid.
• I co-sponsored H.R. 1691, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2009. The bill requires that group health plans provide medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment.
• I co-sponsored and voted in favor of H.R. 971. This bill sets guidelines for the United States Preventive Services Task Force, to make sure insurers are not denying women coverage for mammograms and other services related to breast cancer.
• I co-sponsored H.R. 4830, the Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs. This bill will allow states to compete for grants for programs that will help increase women’s participation in high-wage, high-demand occupations in which women are currently underrepresented in the state's workforce.
• I co-sponsored H.R. 4594, which establishes an Office for Women's Global Development (intended to replace the Office of Women in Development) in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  The office would coordinate USAID efforts to integrate gender in U.S. foreign assistance programs, targeting and policies. It also requires the Secretary to provide guidance on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls to the Secretary of DOD when U.S. military personnel, military contractors, and military observers are to be deployed in humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict settings. 
• I co-sponsored H.R. 22, which expresses that the rights of women are vital to the development and well-being of people of all nations, and requesting that the U.S. Senate ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
• I co-sponsored H.R. 1740, the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009. This bill requires Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a national evidence-based education campaign to increase public awareness regarding the threats posed by breast cancer to young women, including the particular risks faced by certain ethnic and cultural groups. It also requires focus on awareness of risk factors and achieving early detection through community-centered informational forums, public service advertisements, and media campaigns.

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Our returning veterans deserve our unwavering support. It is our duty to support the brave men and women in uniform while they're abroad, and when they return home. Here are some examples of my support:

• Voted to raise military pay by 3.4% when I supported the Defense Authorization Act during the 111th Congress. 
• Requested $250,000 for the American Legion of Orlando to provide free life skills programming and assistance for returning veterans during the 111th Congress. 
• Helped pass a $14.5 billion increase in VA funding, during the 111th Congress, including an additional $1.4 billion increase for VA medical facilities and veteran cemetary maintenance. 
• Demanded answers from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs regarding the ongoing conflict over the completion of the new Orlando VA Medical Center.

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I believe we need to support Senior Citizens. Our seniors should not have to choose between medication and groceries. That’s why I supported the Affordable Care Act, which is one of the first steps in closing the “donut hole” created by Medicare Part D. During the 111th Congress, I voted to appropriate over $7 million to the state of Florida to pay for meals served at senior centers, as well as home-delivered meals. Before becoming a Member of Congress, I helped found the Alliance for Aging Research to promote medical research that helps improve the quality of life as we age.

See also Senior Citizens' Resources.

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