Author: Feminist Majority Foundation Blog

The White House hosted a panel on Tuesday highlighting women trailblazers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The panel was held to encourage young women to enter these fields. The panel included Jocelyn Goldfein, director of engineering at Facebook, Dr. Cady Coleman, a NASA astronaut and retired colonel in the US Air Force, Bianca Bailey, President of the Howard University chapter of Engineers without Borders, and Dr. Jean Hernandez, President of Edmonds Community College. The panel was moderated by Administrator Lisa Jackson of the Environmental Protection Agency. The White House also announced collaborations with private-sector partners to encourage STEM opportunities for girls. Among these partnerships is one with the Girl Scouts, which has been conducting research on girls in STEM. CEO of Girls Scouts of the USA, Anna Maria Chavez, said, “America has a huge opportunity for economic growth when looking at girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math. It is in this country’s best interest to make girls feel supported and capable when it comes to involvement in STEM fields–and anything else they set their minds to and have traditionally been steered away from.”

Today marks the first of three days that the Supreme Court will hear arguments concerning whether the mandated minimum coverage provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires that a person purchase minimum health coverage or face a modest monetary penalty beginning in 2014, is constitutional under the Commerce clause of the US Constitution. Both supporters and opponents of the ACA are gathered outside of the Supreme Court. Before the Justices hear the case, they must first determine whether they are permitted to hear the case under the 1867 Anti-Injunction Act, which states that “no suit for the purpose of restraining the assessment or collection of any tax shall be maintained in any court by any person.” In other words, the Act requires that a tax first be paid before it can be challenged in court. The first taxes associated with the ACA would not be due until April 2015. Currently under the ACA, daughters and sons under 26 years of age can receive insurance through their parents’ coverage, the donut hole for seniors is closing, and certain preventive procedures, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and pap smears, no longer require a co-payment or other direct costs. President Obama signed the final version of the Affordable Care Act in March. The final law will eventually add coverage for 32 million people, increasing access to family planning and preventive care.

Today marks the second anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act. According to government data released in September, since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allowed those under age 26 to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans, almost 1 million people ages 19-25 have gained access to health insurance. Since the provision went into effect in 2010, the number of young adults who are uninsured decreased from 34 percent to 30 percent, according to the Washington Post. The government estimates that between 25 and 50 percent young people under 26 are now covered under their parents’ insurance policies. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stated, “With women’s health front and center in the political debate, we celebrate a law that puts women in charge of their own health decisions and, for the first time, gives women access to free, lifesaving preventive care services, like mammograms. Starting this summer, coverage will include other critical services, such as contraception. And when the Affordable Care Act takes full effect, no longer will being a woman be a pre-existing medical condition.” Currently under the ACA, daughters and sons under 26 years of age can receive insurance through their parents’ coverage. The donut hole for seniors is closing and certain preventive procedures, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and pap smears, no longer require a co-payment or other direct costs. Under the ACA, private insurance plans beginning on or after August 1, 2012 will also cover an annual well-woman visit and a variety of specific health screenings and counseling, such as for domestic and interpersonal violence, gestational diabetes, cervical cancer (an HPV DNA screening), HIV and STIs, as well as all FDA-approved contraceptives, breastfeeding support, lactation services, and supplies. President Obama signed the final version of the Affordable Care Act in March 2010. The final law will eventually add coverage for 32 million people, increasing access to family planning and preventive care.

Following much controversy regarding the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s partnership with Planned Parenthood, five executives from the Komen Foundation have resigned. Dara Richardson-Heron, CEO of the Greater New York City Komen affiliate, Katrina McGhee, Komen’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Nancy Macgregor, Vice President of Global Networks, Joanna Newcomb, Director of Affiliate Strategy and Planning, and Karen Handel, Komen’s Vice President for Public Policy have all indicated plans to leave the Foundation. To date, over 1,000 people have also signed an online petition calling for Komen CEO Nancy Brinker to step down from her position, according to the New York Times. Leslie Aun, a spokeswoman for the Komen Foundation, stated, “We know people have been upset by recent events, but most really we do recognize the importance of our work.” In January, the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure announced that, in accordance with its new policies, it would no longer award grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates to conduct breast cancer screenings, education, and treatment. The Komen Foundation then reversed its policy in early February, following a great public outcry from the women’s rights community.

On Tuesday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert (R) signed a bill requiring that women undergo a 72 hour waiting period before having an abortion. Once the law goes into effect on May 7, Utah will have the longest waiting period in the country. Currently, Utah law requires a 24 hour waiting period. Marina Lowe, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, noted that the law does not make an exception in instances where the pregnancy is nonviable. She stated, “It’s just sort of cruel to tell a woman that” she must carry a nonviable fetus for 72 hours. “It also raises the question of: What is the state’s interest in requiring a woman to wait 72 hours if there’s no chance of the pregnancy resulting in a baby?” In South Dakota, a similar law passed, requiring a 72 hour waiting period; however, Chief Judge Karen Schreier of the U.S. District Court for South Dakota issued a preliminary block because she believes that it poses an “undue burden on women.” She stated that low-income women seeking abortions might not be able to go home and return 72 hours later to obtain an abortion.

On Monday, Arizona state Senate President Steve Pierce (R) announced that he is removing a bill from the Senate committee agenda that would give employers the right to refuse coverage for contraception under their insurance. Senator Pierce indicated that he removed the bill from the agenda due to public opposition and statements from Governor Jan Brewer (R) that she “certainly would probably agree with the majority of people that would be a little bit uncomfortable for a woman to have to go to her employer and tell him or her their private health issues.” House Bill 2625 would have allowed employers to cite moral or religious reasons to exempt employees from birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The bill includes an exception for employees who can prove that they need contraception for a use other than pregnancy prevention, such as to treat endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome. If passed, the bill would have required employees to pay out of pocket for contraception. They would have been eligible for reimbursement only after submitting medical records to their employer to prove medical necessity. The bill also would have removed a provision in current state law that prohibits religious employers from discriminating against an employee who chooses to use contraceptives and pay for them out of pocket. The bill passed the Arizona House with a 39-18 vote.

Yesterday the New Hampshire Republican-controlled House voted 211 to 116 against a bill that would have repealed the marriage equality law in the state. Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, stated, “This is a wonderful victory for New Hampshire, which again took a stand for families. The House was right to reject efforts to turn back the clock on freedom and fairness in New Hampshire. Thank you to all the lawmakers who recognized our common humanity and to Gov. John Lynch for his support of the freedom to marry. Congratulations to Standing Up for New Hampshire Families and to all those who worked so hard for this terrific win today.” Currently same-sex couples are allowed to marry in New Hampshire, Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Iowa, Washington state, and the District of Columbia.

A press conference was held today to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Congress’s passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). A panel discussion, sponsored by the National council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO), the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, and the Alice Paul Institute, followed the press conference and featured Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Representatives, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal, Terry O’Neill, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), Susan Scanlan, Chair of the NCWO, Roberta Francis, Chair of the ERA Task Force, and Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Executive Director of the National Council of Negro Women. The Equal Rights Amendment passed in 35 of the 38 states necessary for its ratification. It failed in the remaining three states by less than five votes in each of the states and was opposed by only a handful of male legislators. When the ERA was voted on in 1982, there was only one woman in the Florida Senate and virtually no African American representation in state Senates nationwide. At the time, there were no African Americans serving in the state legislatures in Florida or North Carolina. Ratification of the ERA is imperative to ensure that men and women are guaranteed equal rights by the US Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment would “guarantee equal footing for women in the legal systems of all 50 states, particularly in areas where women have historically been treated as second-class citizens, including public education, divorce, domestic violence, child custody, and sexual assault law.” It would also ensure women are not discriminated against in the armed services, education, or employment and that government programs, for instance social security, have an equal impact on men and women.

In New Hampshire, a bill requiring that women undergo a 24-hour waiting period and be given “informational materials” about the medical risks of having an abortion, alternatives to the procedure, and the fetus’ gestational age before having an abortion will return to House committee. Those found in violation of the law could be charged with a felony and receive a 15 year prison sentence. Last week, the New Hampshire House voted to pass the bill on to the state Senate but later decided to return the bill to the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. A hearing is scheduled on the bill today. Donna Crane, policy director for NARAL Pro-Choice America, said, “Sadly, this is a trend that has been sweeping across the states. Until now, New Hampshire had been protected from it because it had elected officials who believed that government shouldn’t interfere with private medical practice.”

Reuter’s recent review of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s internal documents reveals a close and complicated relationship between the US Catholic Church and the Komen Foundation, which both receives funding from the Catholic Church and has allocated over $17.6 million to US Catholic universities, hospitals, and charities. Reuters reports that such intense financial pressure from the Catholic Church significantly contributed to the Komen Foundation’s January decision to end its partnership with Planned Parenthood. Since 2005, the Catholic Church has vocally objected to the Komen Foundation’s relationship with Planned Parenthood and has limited donations to the Foundation in many states, including Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and Missouri. The Catholic Church’s opposition to the Komen Foundation’s link to Planned Parenthood mounted in 2011 once Cardinal Timothy Dolan became the President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. That year, Ohio bishops announced they would end statewide donations to the Komen Foundation. Although Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio were not recipients of Komen money, the Bishops expressed concerns that Church money would be sent to the Komen headquarters in Dallas and ultimately be given to Planned Parenthood. Bishops in North Dakota then followed suit in denying money to the Komen Foundation or participating in fundraisers. Despite the Catholic Bishop’s reluctance to provide grants and funding to the Komen Foundation, Catholic-affiliated institutions have continued to receive money from the Komen Foundation. In 2011 alone, Catholic institutions received $7.4 million from the Komen Foundation. By comparison, Planned Parenthood received only $684,000 from the Komen Foundation in 2011. Arthur Caplan of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania stated, “It is morally inconsistent, and difficult to explain, why you would condemn donations but continue to accept grants. It makes no ethical sense at all.” In January, the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure announced that, in accordance with its new policies, it would no longer award grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates to conduct breast cancer screenings, education, and treatment. The Komen Foundation then reversed its policy in early February, following a great public outcry from the women’s rights community.

A bill was approved by the Arizona State House last Thursday that would place further restrictions on birth control access in the state by giving employers the right to refuse coverage for contraception under their insurance. House Bill 2625 would allow employers to cite moral or religious reasons to exempt employees from birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The bill includes an exception for employees who can prove that they need contraception for a use other than pregnancy prevention, such as to treat endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome. Under the law, employees are required to pay out of pocket for contraception, and would be reimbursed only after submitting medical records to her employer to prove medical necessity. Anjali Abraham, public policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union, noted that the bill allows for the possibility of an employer to legally fire an employee who is found to be taking covered contraception as birth control. “The bill seems to have a lot more to do with attempting to limit a woman’s access to health care then freedom of religion,” Abraham said. The bill would also remove a provision in current state law that prohibits religious employers from discriminating against an employee who chooses to use contraceptives and pay for them out of pocket. The bill passed the Arizona House with a 39-18 vote and now awaits Senate approval. It could then be signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer.