National Women's Political Caucus

NWPC Congratulates Judy Baker on HHS Appointment

Born in Colombia, Judy Baker is a formerly NWPC-endorsed Candidate who ran for U.S. Congress in 2008 and narrowly lost her election. When she ran, improved health care and guaranteed quality veteran’s health care were two of her main issues. So when HHS Secretary Katherine Sebelius announced four new regional directors of the US Department of HHS, it was no surprise that Baker was among them.

A former member of the Missouri House representing their 25th district, she will head Region VII (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska), and represent Secretary Sebelius in working with officials at the federal, state, and local level on health & social service issues.

NWPC congratulates Judy Baker on her appointment, and commends the White House and Department of HHS for the excellent choice.

Candidate to Watch: Krystal Ball (VA-1)

Krystall Ball is a strong, passionate candidate who, like NWPC, has noticed that congress needs more of something: Women. As an openly pro-choice candidate, she promises to protect for women’s rights and interests. She wants to fight for improved education in our schools, better environmental policies, equal marriage rights, and second amendment rights.

This NWPC-endorsed candidate faces an incumbent opponent whose voting record shows he is out of touch with the needs of the American people. Robb Whittman voted against the re-authorization of CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He voted against the stimulus plan and against the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, designed to help those hit hardest by the recession to keep their homes.

Many politicans and political groups have endorsed Krystal Ball, including Congressman Bob Filner, Women’s Campaign Forum, Women Under Forty PAC, Fredericksburg Democratic Committee, Emily's List, and eQualityGiving.

www.krystalballforcongress.com

Dede Scozzafava Forced to Back out of NY-23 Race;
Pro-Choice Democrat Bill Owens Wins

Pro-choice Democrat Bill Owens won the NY-23 congressional race yesterday with 49% of the vote to Independent Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman's 46%.

The outcome proves that the majority of voters in a predominately Republican district which has not elected a democrat in over three decades do care about and vote on social issues such as the pro-choice issue.

Although NWPC endorsed Dede Scozzafava, (R) has an impeccable record in the New York Legislator, she was immediately attacked for her stand on social issues. It could not have been easy, but Dede never backed away from her pro-choice position or her stand in favor of equal marriage rights.

Scozzafava's social positions on gay rights and abortion split the Republican Party and rallied conservatives behind Doug Hoffman, an otherwise unknown Conservative Party candidate. Ultimately, after a panoply of attacks from rigid anti-choice conservative activists, Scozzafava was forced to step down from the race. She endorsed Bill Owens, the pro-choice Democrat in the race.

The National Women's Politicial Caucus is proud of our endorsement of Dede Scozzafava, the the Republican party's nominee for the special election in NY-23 to fill the vacancy created by John McHugh who was appointed Secretary of the Army by President Obama. As a multi-partisan organization, the NWPC has a proud history of endorsing qualified feminist pro-choice candidates regardless of party affiliation. Unfortunately, over the the past 15 years, pro-choice challengers or candidates running for an open seat have been unable to get through a Republican primary.

Niki Tsongas Endorses Martha Coakley for US Senate

October 29, 2009

Massachusetts congresswoman Niki Tsongas recently announced her endorsement of Martha Coakley for US Senate. If elected in the January 19th special election, Coakley will become Massachusetts's first woman senator. The special election is being held to fill the vacancy left by the death of Senator Kennedy.

Much speculation has been made regarding the apparent gender divide in who is endorsing whom among their congressional representatives, as Representative Tsongas is going against six of her congressional (male) peers in endorsing Coakley. However, Tsongas is quick to point out that her decision had nothing to do with gender, and that she is "supporting the candidate who will be the most effective U.S. Senator."

In a recent interview, Sheila Capone of the MA Women's Political Caucus deftly pointed out: "I wonder if people asked the same question when Congressman Frank endorsed Congressman Capuano. Is he endorsing him because he was a man?"

"A Woman's Nation"

In honor of the fact that women now comprise half of all U.S. workers and two thirds of primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in American families, Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress recently came out with a report detailing what this change means for our country. Their foremost point is that our country's institutions haven't kept up with these dramatic changes; they "rely on outdated models of who works and who cares for our families." For example, despite the fact that four out of five families with children at home are not "traditional" (with only the husband employed and the wife at home), the U.S. is still the only industrialized nation without a child-care policy. And despite the increasing size of the women's workforce, the wage gap persists.

Want to learn more? Download the report, or a section of it. You can also check out this outline of the five things you should know about the new proverbial woman's nation, Gloria Steinem's critique of the study, or watch this clip in which the report is discussed on Meet the Press.

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