Planting Seeds in the Weeds of the Fall Elections

The General Election was held on November 2, 2010. We unfortunately lost many of the races that we had targeted, including that of the PA Senate Seat, which was won by Pat Toomey (R). Of the 22 targeted races, we won 5, lost 14, and 3 more are TOO CLOSE TO CALL!

What does this mean? More Tea Party legislators who oppose fairness and equality for women, people of color, immigrants, and lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people. More efforts by a new, conservatively-empowered majority in both the Federal and State House of Representatives. Attempts at both the state and federal level to overturn health care reform for everyone and reverse reproductive rights for women. And we’ll see continued, if not even greater gridlock, on passing legislation that creates holes in our safety net here in PA and across the country.

That means that at least for the next two, if not more years, our garden of rights may become filled with weeds. Cracks in our canopy of safety are likely to appear. And we will need to plant more seeds in our efforts to ensure that the fruit of our work isn’t pulled out of this garden.

Meanwhile, Here’s How Our Candidates Faired

The following lists all of the races that we targeted and lets you know how each of our candidates faired in their individual races.

National NOW/PAC

U.S. Senate

• JOE SESTAK (D) Lost

U.S. Congress

• BOB BRADY (D) 1st CD WON. RETURNS TO CONGRESS
• CHAKA FATTAH (D) 2nd CD WON. RETURNS TO CONGRESS
• ALLYSON SCHWARTZ (D) 13th CD WON. RETURNS TO CONGRESS
• MANAN TREVEDI (D) 6th CD Lost
• BRYAN LENTZ (D) 7th CD Lost
• LOIS HERR (D) 16th CD Lost
• DAN CONNOLLY (D) 18th CD Lost

Pennsylvania NOW PAC

The Pennsylvania NOW PAC makes endorsements for all statewide and local races. The PA NOW PAC has two levels of approval for candidates. "Endorsement" is the highest level of approval and is given only to those candidates who support all of our issues and will take a leadership position on those issues if elected. "Support" is given to those candidates who are good on most of our issues but have a problem with one or two; we believe that these candidates are significantly better than their opposition. “Endorsed” candidates names are CAPITALIZED and BOLDED. Candidates receiving “Support” have their names printed in upper and lower-case letters. The results of these races are as follows:

Pennsylvania Senate Endorsed Candidates

• RUTH DAMSKER (D) 12th SD Lost
• BILL WALLACE (D) 24th SD Lost 

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Endorsed: 

• PHYLLIS MUNDY (D) 120th HD WON! RETURNS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• BABETTE JOSEPHS (D) 182nd HD WON! RETURNS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• STEVE SANTARSIARO (D) 31st HD TOO CLOSE TO CALL! Steve is leading by 189 votes as of 11:30 am November 3; they need to count the absentee ballots before declaring a winner.
• TINA DAVIS (D) 141st HD TOO CLOSE TO CALL! Tina is leading by 241 votes as of 11:30 am November 3; they need to count the 500 +/- absentee ballots before declaring a winner.
• BARBARA MCILLVAINE SMITH 156TH HD TOO CLOSE TO CALL! Barbara is trailing by 214 votes as of 11:30 am November 3. Barb hasn’t yet conceded. Hopefully she’ll pull this one out just like she did in the squeaker in 2006 when she won by 28 votes upon a recount.
• GERALD PRICE (D) 4th HD Lost
• SHARON BROWN (D) 28th HD Lost
• GERALD E. POLICOFF (D) 41st HD Lost
• JO ELLEN BOWMAN (D) 60th HD Lost
• TREY CASIMIR (D) 85th HD Lost

Supported:

• Angela West (D) 87th HD Lost
• Mark Painter (D) 146th HD Lost
• Andrea Baptiste (D) 150th HD Lost

Even with These Large Loses (Weeds) and Limited Wins (Planted Seeds), We Can’t and Won’t Turn Back

We must continue to fight and stand up for our rights. Terry O’Neill, National President of NOW, put it this way in an article that appeared in the Huffington Post on November 2:

Throughout the history of the women's movement in this country, our progress has often been painfully slow. I've lost count of the number of women who have told me how frustrated they are when the changes they voted for mysteriously stall out in the legislative process, or are compromised away too quickly. I've felt that frustration myself over the past couple years….This is one of those times, when we must reach deep into ourselves and return again to the struggle for equality and justice.

We will continue to monitor attacks on women’s rights. We will continue to work for economic justice. We will continue to work towards ending discrimination no matter your gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity. We will continue to advocate for ending violence against women and children.

So, “Don’t Agonize! Organize!”

Plant and grow our seeds of Equality for All

• Join NOW! 
• Get active in your local NOW Chapter; if there isn’t a local chapter in your area, start one! Email us at panow@panow.org or call us at 814-280-2571 to find out how to contact or start a local NOW chapter in your community.
• Make a donation (or a recurring monthly donation) to NOW! If you want to make a recurring donation, email our Treasurer, Pamela Macklin at pmacfish@aol.com.  She'll send you the necessary paperwork to turn a one-time donation into a monthly donation.
• Write letters to the editor about the issues that concern you.
• And tell your federal and state legislators that you will be watching their federal-level or state-level votes.

We’ll continue to advocate for you. And with your advocacy, our efforts eventually will bear fruit. Thank you!

Fall Pennsylvania NOW Times and Voters' Guide

The Pennsylvania NOW Times Fall issue is now available online.  The newsletter includes:

• Our Voters' Guide
• Legislative Updates - what passed and what didn't during the 2009-2010 Pennsylvania General Assembly session.
• Unshackeled - story about Pennsylvania outlawing the shackling of incarcerated pregant women.
• Anti-Abortion Bill Condemned - article about a bill introduced by Senator Don White that would outlaw abortion coverage, even when medically necessary, in the new health care insurance exchanges.
• Police Failure to Investigate Rape - story about what happens when police fail to properly investigate allegations of rape.
• Chapter Exchange

Joe Pitts Says "NO" to Women Again!

Rep. Joe Pitts - the representative who only knows how to say "No,"  can't take "No" for an answer.  He continues to attempt to control women's lives and bodies.

His Stupak-Pitts amendment to the health insurance reform bill was taken out of the final health care bill before it was passed in March.  It was replaced by the Obama-Stupak Executive Order. This Executive Order expands the misogynistic Hyde amendment to any health insurance plan that is included in any of the health exchange programs. This expansion effectively denies reproductive health care coverage to women.  This will happen as soon as insurance companies decide to drop all plans that cover abortions and reproductive health care that the right wing believes leads to abortion (e.g., emergency contraction and birth control).

But this wasn't enough for Joe Pitts.  As the Lancaster Intelligencer states at Lancaster Online about Pitts, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.".  On Thursday, April 22, Joe Pitts introduced the "Protect Life Act."  The measure has 50 cosponsors, 32 of whom are Republicans.  This bill would turn the Hyde amendment into permanent law by permanently banning the use of any federal funds (like Medicaid)  for abortions.  But it goes far beyond that.  It makes it illegal for individuals and companies who purchase health insurance through the exchanges from including abortion coverage in their basic plan.  And coverage for abortions under the this law would only be allowed if the woman is in imminent danger of death or in the cases of rape or incest.  This is what the exception says,

except in the case where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, or unless the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest.

This bill also creates a one-way conscience clause that allows individuals and hospitals and any other health care provider to deny services with impunity to women when they refuse to participate in what they believe to be an abortion service.  It does not in contrast provide protections for individuals who believe that full reproductive health care is the gold standard of care.  

This is Pitts third attempt to throw women under the bus.  The first was in 1988/1989 when he successfully helped steer revisions to Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Act through the state House of Representatives; he highlights this on his official Congressional website, stating,

[Pitts]was a key player behind the 1990 [sic] Abortion Control Act.

The second was his failed Stupak-Pitts amendment last November.  And now this attempt.  Let's throw this bill -- rather than women -- under the bus. Tell your legislators to kill the bill in committee.  It's currently in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; let it stay their permanently.

And while we are at it, let's tell Pitts "NO" one more time and vote him out of office in November.  We need a Representative who says "YES" to women.  We need Lois Herr for the PA 16th Congressional District.

National NOW PAC Endorses Lois Herr for the PA 16th Congressional District

This morning (November 21, 2009) Pennsylvania NOW, National NOW, and Planned Parenthood PA Advocates held a protest rally against Rep. Joe Pitts for co-authoring the Stupak-Pitts amendment to the health care reform bill that passed in the US House of Representatives on Nov. 7, 2009.  During the rally, the National NOW PAC announced their endorsement of Lois Herr for this seat.  The following are the speeches/statements made by Joanne Tosti-Vasey, President of Pennsylvania NOW, Inc. and Terry O'Neill, Chair of the National NOW PAC at this protest/endorsement rally.

But first, check out the Lancaster News video to see parts of Terry's and Lois' speeches. Note: I'm new at embedding videos into blogs. This one may not immediately start. Once you click on the video you may see a message that says, "This video is a duplicate of a previously loaded video." If you see this message,go to the thumbnails at the bottom of the video and click on the thumbnail entitled "Tense Time at Protest Against Stupak-Pitts". Then you will be able to see the speeches.

Now here's Joanne Tosti-Vasey's speech...

WEST CHESTER, PA, NOVEMBER 21, 2009: We are here today to express our outrage and anger at Joe Pitts for co-authoring an amendment to the health care reform. Rather than expanding health care coverage to all, Pitts’ amendment is clearly designed to deny full, lawful reproductive health care to half of the population.


On November 7th, the US House of Representatives passed HR 3962, their weakened version of health care reform. This bill took three blows against true health care reform prior to final passage. First, they weakened the public option to a public exchange program. Then they eliminated the Kucinich amendment that allows states to craft their own single-payer health care plans (which PA is now considering). Finally, the House trashed health care for women by including the Stupak-Pitts amendment.
The Stupak-Pitts amendment was co-authored by one the members of the PA Congressional delegation – Joe Pitts – who lives here in Chester County. This amendment denies access to abortion services to most women in the United States. Under this amendment, a woman will be denied abortion coverage in her health insurance plan if she either uses the "public option" OR if she receives any subsidy whatsoever to purchase health insurance from private insurers.

In addition, even if just one woman in the group plan uses a subsidy, every woman in that private health care insurance plan will be denied abortion coverage. Why? Because this amendment states that no plan can include abortion services if any one person receives a subsidy.


So now ALL lower- and middle-class women will be completely denied access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care. BTW, this restriction may also include access to emergency contraception and other forms of birth control because of how the right wing defines abortion.


Unfortunately 13 of Joe Pitt’s colleagues from Pennsylvania also voted for this amendment. The votes of these 14 Representatives are, in our opinion, a vote to once again send women to the back alleys for an abortion.


There were only five PA Representatives who voted against this amendment. Pennsylvania NOW would like to publicly thank these five members of Congress for standing up for comprehensive health care and for the lives of women. They are:


Rep. Bob Brady (D) PA 1
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D) PA 2
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D) PA 8
Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D) PA 13
Rep. Joe Sestak (D) PA 7


We are outraged at this attempt by Joe Pitts to deny women full, lawful, and comprehensive health care.


Joe Pitts, you are out of touch with reality. You are continuing to use your religion and voting power to hurt women and families throughout the 16th Congressional District as well as people across the entire country.


We will remember in November 2010! Joe Pitts, one of these ways that we will remember is by working very hard to replace you in Congress. With the help of all of the people present here today as well as with the help of NOW and people throughout the district, we will hand you your pink slip on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 when the voters in the 16th Congressional District hire my friend and mentor, Lois Herr to replace you.
And for more on this, I’d like to now introduce Terry O’Neill, the national president of the National Organization for Women.

And here's Terry O'Neill's endorsement statement...
 
The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee is proud to announce our endorsement of Lois Herr for Congress in Pennsylvania's 16th District. Lois is taking on the all-important challenge of unseating Rep. Joe Pitts, co-author of the outrageous Stupak-Pitts Amendment. Lois rightly called this amendment "a direct attack on the freedom and privacy of American women."



Thanks in large part to Pitts' efforts, the House's version of health care reform now stands as the greatest threat to women's fundamental right to abortion in decades. That's why we're here today on Joe Pitts' home turf -- not only to express outrage at his actions but also to demonstrate our commitment to getting Lois Herr elected in this district next November.


Lois is dedicated to providing affordable health care to every person in the United States, but not at the expense of women's access to reproductive health services. She is a longtime NOW member and a strong supporter of constitutional equality, equal pay, affirmative action, equal marriage rights and the full range of feminist issues. Lois understands the hurdles that women face every day in this country, and when we send her to Capitol Hill, she will work to improve the lives of women and girls.


We have a battle ahead of us, but I am confident that the people of Pennsylvania's 16th District will see the light. The current health care debate has revealed the cynical side of law-making and exposed those legislators who are only too willing to throw women overboard for the sake of political expediency. To those like Joe Pitts, I say: if women's rights aren't safe when you're in office, then we'll just have to replace you. And I can't think of a better candidate to take your seat than Lois Herr.