War on Women

As Vice President Biden's debt ceiling negotiations with Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders enters a critical phase, it's time that feminists speak out and be heard. Click here to:

Please tell the negotiators loud and clear to put increasing revenue on the table, increase taxes on the wealthy, and cut defense/contractor spending.

Right now, the Republicans are holding the lifting of the nation's debt ceiling hostage unless they win two trillion dollars in budget cuts at the same time. These are the same Republicans who made no big deal out of President Bush II's lifting of the debt ceiling, principally to finance the Iraq war and give tax cuts to the wealthy (or as Bush II said, his base: the haves and the have mores). This revenue slashing did not create jobs – it just created massive debt.

Tell the Republicans they can't balance the budget on the backs of women and children. It simply cannot all come from programs for women, children, health care, education. Nor are ideological cuts to domestic and global reproductive health really spending cuts. Every dollar of spending that enables a woman to plan her family SAVES the government four dollars in spending.

Nor can balancing the budget come from cutting Medicaid for the poor and the middle class. Yes, the middle class. Remember, Medicaid pays for the cost of 2/3rds of the people (mostly women) in nursing homes, most of whom were middle class. Medicaid also covers disabled children and adults, many of whom have parents who are in the middle class or working poor, but simply cannot afford health care costs. It's NOT time to throw tens of thousands of seniors out of nursing homes and it is NOT time to deny services to disabled children or adults.

And as far as Medicare goes, the government should be allowed to negotiate cheaper drug prices. We will not stand for eliminating persons under 55 years of age from Medicare coverage.

Tell Congress what Americans really want: increase taxes on the wealthy, cut defense spending, and maintain Medicaid and Medicare.

Some politicians want us to think cutting Defense spending or repealing the tax cuts are politically impossible. But polls show the majority of Americans support doing these things rather than cutting crucial services. It's time to be heard – before it's too late.

For women's lives and the nation's future,

Eleanor Smeal
President
Feminist Majority

1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 801, Arlington, VA 22209 | 703.522.2214 | femmaj@feminist.org