Womenstake

Tell Your Senators to Extend Unemployment Insurance and COBRA Subsidies

by Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center

Before your Senators go home on recess, they have important business to take care of. They need to quickly pass another 30-day extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies, or once again tens of thousands of unemployed workers will lose benefits at the end of the month. This extension has already been approved by the House and is just waiting for action in the Senate.  

If the Senate doesn’t act quickly, benefits will lapse again for thousands of struggling individuals -- creating a huge administrative nightmare for overburdened and underfunded unemployment agencies. 

Your Senators need to hear loud and clear that they shouldn’t go home without taking care of extending unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies. 

To speak to your Senators, call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask to speak to your Senators (to leave messages for both of them, you will have to call for each one), or click here to look up the name and contact information of your Senators.

We have provided a sample script below:

“My name is _________. I am a constituent and I am requesting that Senator _______ supports an extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits before he/she goes home on recess.”

You Still Have Time to Act – Vote on Jobs Bill Pending

By Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager,
National Women's Law Center

The Senate could vote as early as tomorrow on a jobs bill that would extend unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits until the end of the year and extend state aid for Medicaid for 6 months.

We expect an important vote on an amendment to the bill tomorrow morning that would extend and expand the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families emergency fund, as we described last week. Unfortunately, the TANF emergency fund is not currently included in the jobs bill—even though the unemployment rate among single mothers with children is currently more than 12 percent, making this program, with its focus on low-income parents, especially necessary.

With everything on the line, it’s important to raise your voice and make sure your Senators know how important it is to pass a comprehensive jobs bill. Please take action today and urge your Senators to support the TANF emergency fund amendment and this bill as the first steps in a comprehensive jobs agenda. 

Baby Steps: Unemployment Insurance Temporarily Extended Again

By Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager,
National Women's Law Center

Late last night Senator Jim Bunning loosened his grip on struggling Americans, allowing the Senate to finally approve a 30-day extension of unemployment insurance, COBRA health benefits, highway funding and other key programs. This means that states can gear up (once again) to administer these benefits.

With a 30-day extension in place, Congress must focus on passing a longer term, comprehensive jobs agenda, instead of further short-term fixes that keep unemployed workers perpetually at the brink of crisis. We need to stop playing games with struggling Americans and start looking for real solutions for the unemployed.

Our hope is that Congress uses this time to come up with a comprehensive response to the continuing unemployment crisis that includes extending unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits until the end of the year, providing meaningful fiscal relief to states in order to protect Medicaid and other vital services and prevent layoffs, extending emergency funding for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and creating public service jobs, among other things.

This is the worst recession since the Great Depression and unemployment is expected to remain above 9% well into next year.  Let’s hope that Congress’s next move gets us a little further along. 

Instead of baby steps, let’s go for a full leap!

Bunning Does It Again - A Block on Unemployment Insurance Benefits

by Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager, 
National Women’s Law Center 

Today, Senator Jim Bunning once again blocked passage of extending unemployment insurance benefits, COBRA subsidies and other key programs.   

As we mentioned on Friday, last week Senator Jim Bunning successfully blocked these key programs.

Unfortunately, as of midnight on Sunday, state programs for extended unemployment insurance have already started shutting down –- so workers who can’t find jobs will have nothing to live on. And today, 2,000 federal transportation workers were furloughed without pay, forcing a delay in construction projects around the country. All thanks to Senator Bunning. 

Who says one person can’t make a difference?

From Bimbo to Binary: Barbie Turns Geek Chic

by Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager,
National Women’s Law Center 

Growing up as a blonde, I was never a big fan of Barbie. Her feet were way too pointy and her chest was just ridiculous.

But my biggest turnoffs were the stereotypical, ditsy occupations, habits and hobbies that the dolls always seemed to have. Maybe it was because I was a tomboy — I preferred sports to fashion — but whatever the reason, Barbie was not-so-appealing to me as a kid.

I’m sure many of you remember the infamous “Math class is tough” Barbie from 1992. Although Mattel dropped the offensive phrase that time, the whole episode left a lasting impression, and at the young age of 12, I already knew Barbie was not going to cut it for my future children.

Now that I’m 29 and pregnant with a little girl, the question has resurfaced — To Barbie, or not to Barbie?

But there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon that’s making me reassess the decision I made in middle school.

Ledbetter Anniversary: A Time to Move Forward on Paycheck Fairness

by Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager,
National Women’s Law Center 

January is a time to reflect on accomplishments of the past year and the work that is still ahead.

In the fight to end pay discrimination against women, 2009 was a year to celebrate. On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This bill restored the protection against pay discrimination that was stripped away by the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Once again, individuals subjected to unlawful pay discrimination are able to effectively assert their rights under federal anti-discrimination laws.

On a personal note, it was quite a way to kick off 2009. After working on the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act non-stop, it was awe-inspiring to be present when President Obama signed the bill into law – the very first of his Administration. But as we all celebrated, Lilly Ledbetter reminded everyone in attendance that the fight is not over: "With this bill in place, we now can move forward to where we all hope to be — improving the law, not just restoring it," she pointed out.

The next step for moving forward is passing the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Would-Be Women Astronauts Denied the Right to Serve

by Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager,
National Women’s Law Center 

In the 1950s, as the space race was heating up, NASA trained a number of women to serve as astronauts. Sadly, that training was as far as they got.

Newly released medical tests published in the September Advances in Physiology Education prove that the female trainees performed better than their male counterparts in many categories — but they were denied the opportunity to serve as astronauts. NASA regulations kept the glass ceiling firmly in place, despite the evidence that women were very qualified to serve.

So what were the reasons for dismissing qualified women astronauts? It looks like women were held to a different — and unachievable — standard. According to Brandon Keim’s article in Weird Science,

“Some NASA officials speculated that female performance could be impaired by menstruation. Others wanted pilots who had already flown experimental military aircraft — something only men could have done, since women were barred from the Air Force.”

Does this type of reasoning sound familiar?

Recently, I posted about the intention of the Navy to move toward allowing women to serve aboard submarines.  Until the Navy recently announced this intention, the stated reason for prohibiting women from permanent assignment aboard submarines was crew privacy. It’s long past time for women to serve on submarines or any other military or civilian positions they are qualified for.

I wonder how many other studies will emerge about women candidates who were lost to discrimination. And the problem isn’t only that these candidates were denied an opportunity — it’s that our nation’s pool of talented potential astronauts was cut for absolutely no reason beyond gender discrimination.

It wasn’t until 1995 that a woman became a space pilot. Now it’s 2009, and we’re still waiting for an American woman to serve on a submarine. At least we’re one step closer to justice — and one step closer to opening all positions for women.  

Cheaters Sometimes Prosper; Or: Why We Need Health Care Reform

by Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager, 
National Women’s Law Center 

In 4th grade I hit my Monopoly peak. At the time, I played a classmate of mine, Laura W., almost every Saturday. I was usually the Hat. She was usually the Horse. I usually won, but the rules never changed. Hotels were worth a certain amount of money and so were those annoying utilities. We played strictly by the book. 

That’s what I don’t get with health insurance. The companies have the upper hand. If they aren’t “winning,” they change the rules --- drop patients, charge more money, or deny coverage. How is that fair? If you’re a patient and you pay your premium, you’re taking a risk that you might or might not get sick. Why can insurance companies just change the game in the middle and get away with it? 

If I did that to Laura W. in 4th grade I’d be called a cheater. Why should insurance companies be called any different?

That’s why we need real health care reform. Health care reform must work for women and their families. This means we need to end unfair insurance company practices like gender rating, ensure that health coverage is affordable for all Americans by helping low- and middle-income families pay for health insurance and limiting their out-of-pocket costs, and make sure that women have access to comprehensive reproductive health services. And while paying for it in a fair and responsible way.

It’s obviously not going to be as easy as a game of Monopoly, but making sure your voice is heard by your Members of Congress is. Take action today by telling them we need health care reform that meets the needs of women and their families.  

Being All You Can Be: Good News for Women in the Military

By Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager, 
and Holly Hemphill, Senior Counsel, 
National Women's Law Center 

Both the Army and the Navy made the news last week with positive developments not only for women in the military but also for all people who care about quality - and equality - in our armed forces.

We begin by reporting that Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead have announced their intention to “move out aggressively” to allow women to serve aboard submarines. That’s right, in 2009, women are currently prohibited from serving on submarines, even though they have been successfully serving on surface warfare vessels since the mid-1990s. Nancy Duff Campbell, Co-President of the National Women’s Law Center, welcomed the news and commended the Navy officials for this important step. When the Navy’s intention becomes a reality, the potential pool of candidates for submarine service will greatly expand – which will not only help with recruitment, but increase the quality of our force. 

In a second move, showing progress of women in the Army, Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa L. King got a big promotion – one that will put her in charge of overseeing the drill sergeant training for the entire U.S. Army. CSM King will be the first woman in this key position – a position that influences the basic training of every enlisted soldier. CSM King said that one of her priorities would be to recruit more women into her drill sergeant school, and said, “Women should be allowed into frontline combat units ... if they meet the same standards as men.” Sounds obvious right? It’s not... Currently women are excluded not only from submarine duty but also from serving in infantry, armor and artillery units.

Here at the National Women’s Law Center we think that women should be full partners with men serving in defense of our country. We have posted position papers on allowing military women to serve in all units and occupations for which they qualify, providing military women full access to reproductive health care, eliminating sexual assault, and the need for a revitalized Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. We have also outlined other recommendations to end discrimination against women in the military in our Platform for Progress.

By moving forward on these issues, the Department of Defense will acknowledge what many of us already know – that women in the military have proven their value and valor and deserve full equality and opportunity in serving our country.

We look forward to more good news in the coming months, as more military assignments open up for women and as more leaders like CSM Teresa L. King are recognized. 

For more information check out www.nwlc.org/military.

A Call for Gender Equity in Construction Contracts

by Melanie Ross Levin, Outreach Manager, 
National Women's Law Center 

Fashion from the 1980s seems to be making a comeback (does anyone really look good in tights?). But the number of women in non-traditional occupations, at least, has evolved since then. In 1980, the federal government used Census data from the 1970s to identify affirmative action hiring goals for federal construction contractors (and subcontractors) — and came up with just 6.9 percent for women. That goal hasn’t been updated since.

Last week, Reps. Pete Stark, D-Calif., and Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., sent a letter co-signed by 24 of their colleagues urging Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to modernize the affirmative action goals set by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. In addition to setting a new goal for women based on updated Census data, the letter recommends establishing a working committee to provide oversight for the implementation of this goal.

Why the sudden interest in getting these numbers updated, after nearly 30 years at the same rate? With the economy slowly recovering, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will play a vital role in job creation — particularly in non-traditional occupations for women.  The term shovel-ready jobs means just that — shovel ready.  Now we just need to make sure women have real access to the shovels.