Feminists Rally on Capitol Hill Against Stupak/Pitts

As you may have noticed, we've been writing a lot about the Stupak-Pitts amendment in the last few weeks. Yesterday, all the interns (and just about all the permanent staffers) from the East Coast office went to the Lobby Day--here's what the Daily Feminist News had to say:

Hundreds of feminist activists from around the country gathered today on Capitol Hill to rally against the anti-abortion Stupak/Pitts amendment to the health insurance reform bill. The lobby day was presented by the Stop Stupak Coalition, which is also sponsoring a week of action that started Monday. The coalition includes 53 partners that form "a broad group of advocacy organizations from the progressive and women's health communities."

The restrictive anti-abortion Stupak/Pitts amendment to the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) passed by a 240-194 vote of the House of Representatives on Saturday. The amendment, co-sponsored by Bart Stupak (D-MI), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), and Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), bans abortion coverage for women in both the public option and private insurance. Under the guise of no federal funding for abortion in so-called keeping with Hyde Amendment restrictions, the Stupak/Pitts Amendment goes way beyond Hyde. This amendment bans abortion coverage even if women pay for it with their own money in the public option or private plans in the insurance exchange.

Reports indicate that Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) is planning to introduce an amendment to the Senate bill that parallels the Stupak/Pitts amendment.

Act Now! Join in the day of action and sign our petition to stop Stupak/Pitts now!

Photo credit: Luanne Smith

Stop Stupak: Call your Senators!!!

Today is the day we STOP STUPAK.

Today, the Senate begins debate on their version of the Health Care Reform Bill. Senators Hatch and Nelson are preparing to introduce an amendment to the Senate version of the bill that is identical to the Stupak-Pitts amendment.

Call your Senators TODAY. We need to flood the lines, and let our voices be heard. This is the biggest threat to reproductive health our generation has seen, and they need to know that we won't go back!

Call BOTH your Senators at BOTH their DC office and field office.
You can find the phone numbers for both offices at senate.gov. You can also reach your Senators D.C. office by calling the capitol Switchboard at 888-423-5983.

Let your Senators know that you want a pro-women, pro-choice health care reform bill, and to URGE them to fight against any attempt to attach a Stupak-like amendment to the Senate version of the health care reform bill.

Let them know that women rights will not be a bargaining chip!




check out Lindsay phonebanking!

Stop Stupak Phone Banks in the FMF's Los Angeles Office

Here in the FMF's Los Angeles office, we are ANGRY about the Stupak amendment! We can't make it to DC for the Emergency/Rally Lobby Day on Dec. 2 but that won't stop us from taking action!

If you are in the Los Angeles area, join us at the FMF Headquarters on Dec. 1 & 2 for a Stop Stupak Phone Bank! We'll be phonebanking our supporters, asking them to take 2 minutes to call key decision makers and demand that no anti-choice amendments be included in health care reform.

The Stupak Amendment is the single largest threat to abortion access in our lifetimes. We must demand that young women's lives and bodies stop being used as a political bargaining chip and make sure Congress understands that abortion is health care.

Here are the details: FMF Headquarters at 433 S. Beverly Dr. between Pico and Olympic, 90212. Tuesday, December 1 join us from 6pm - 9pm, or on Wednesday, Dec. 2 join us from 10am - 6pm for any amount of time. Spread the word!

To RSVP, email Allie at amcdonald@feminist.org or Jacqueline at jsun@feminist.org or call us at 866-471-FMLA.

See you on December 1st & 2nd!

Letter from Eleanor Smeal: Take Action to Stop Stupak/Pitts

Sign Stop Stupak/Pitts Petition! We will deliver the petition on December 2. Tell a Friend to Sign Stop Stupak/Pitts Petition If you can, join us in DC on Wednesday December 2 for a STOP Stupak/Pitts event & Capitol Hill Visit Day! Dirksen Senate Office Building Auditorium (Dirksen G50) from 9am-4:30pm For more event information call 703.522.2214

Pro-choice activists are coming to Washington from across the nation on Wednesday, December 2 to take our message directly to Congress: Stop STUPAK/PITTS! Pass Health Care reform with a strong Public Option. If you can not come, join in by signing the Stop Stupak petition. We will deliver them on December 2.

The House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill which includes the Stupak/Pitts amendment banning abortion coverage in both the private insurance plans and the public option. Women cannot even buy coverage with their own money. This is a giant step backward for women. Millions of women will lose abortion coverage.

The Senate version currently being debated does not include Stupak/Pitts. We need to make sure that the Senate version of the bill remains free of this killer amendment.

We need your help! Millions of women across the country are at risk of losing abortion access and affordability.

Join us in DC on Dec. 2 for an Emergency Event to Stop Stupak/Pitts and Capitol Hill Visit Day! Meet at the Dirksen Senate Office Building Auditorium (Dirksen G50) on Constitution Avenue. Please make appointments with your legislators and tell them how strongly you feel about taking away from women the right to make their own health care decisions. Then, between your meetings, join the rally from 11:30 - 1:00pm on Capitol Hill.

If DC isn't an option for you, take action where you are! Schedule a visit in the local offices of your Senators and Representative. Organize a call-in day and flood the phone lines of the Members' district and national offices. Write an op-ed. Hold your own rally. Circulate a petition and flood the fax lines while you're at it! Make your voice heard!

Women's rights and lives are not negotiating tools, and we will not stand for this!

For Women's Lives,

Eleanor Smeal
President
Feminist Majority Foundation

P.S. If you're in the Los Angeles area, join us for a Stop Stupak Phone Bank at the FMF's Los Angeles Headquarters the evening of Dec. 1 and all day Dec. 2. For more information, email amcdonald@feminist.org or call 1-866-471-FMLA.

P.P.S. Please sign the Stop Stupak petition. And tell a Friend.

TONIGHT: Conference Call for Activists on Health Care Reform

If you missed this Action Alert in your inboxes this morning, please help us get the word out about this conference call! We invite all our activists to join us in this call tonight to get the 411 on Health Care Reform! - Val

We need your help! On November 7, the U.S. House took an historic step in passing its version of health care reform. Unforgivably, this major victory was achieved by selling out the health of women and passing sweeping new restrictions on abortion access.

Federal funding already cannot be used to pay for abortions. But with Stupak/Pitts, no plan in the health insurance exchange could offer abortion coverage.

Even worse, it would prevent women who receive federal subsidies for insurance from purchasing plans that cover abortion - even if they use their own money!

Confused? Get your questions answered tonight! Call 218-862-1300 at 8pm EST and use the conference code 789637. Be sure to RSVP.

Health Care Reform is not as complicated as it seems, and this is an opportunity to activate on your campuses! We welcome all feminist activists to join us for an informative conference call.

RSVP now!

The purpose of the call is to:

1. Clarify the Stupak/Pitts amendment and its impact.
2. Update you on the Senate version of health care reform.
3. Outline where we go from here - and the role each of us has to play to protect women's health and rights.
4. Share ideas about how to activate your campus and community to make sure women's ability to access abortions is not only for the wealthy.

TONIGHT (Monday, Nov. 23rd) at 8pm EST, the Feminist Majority Foundation, Advocates for Youth, and Choice USA will be hosting this call for youth activists nationwide to shed some light on the critical need for activism around the health care bill!

There's still time to stop this restriction from being included in the final health care bill! But we have to act now, and we need your help!

One more time: to join us, call 218-862-1300 at 8pm EST and use the conference code 789637. Be sure to RSVP.

We need to make sure our voices are heard on our campuses, in our communities and throughout the halls of Congress.

Local Activism: NOW Events in Your Region

Local activists are holding events all across the country to fight the Stupak/Pitts Amendment. If you are planning an event, please send it our way or post a comment so we can spread the word!

Here are some great events being held by local NOW chapters in Pennsylvania and New York:

PA Activists: Protest Pitts Nov. 21!

Join NOW President Terry O'Neill, Pennsylvania NOW President Joanne Tosti-Vasey and Lois Herr, candidate for Congress in a protest outside of the Chester County Courthouse in Pennsylvania. This is Joseph Pitts' district -- as in one of the authors of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

Starts at 10:15 Saturday, Nov. 21 with press conference at 10:30 am. All events will take place on the courthouse steps (2 N High St, West Chester, PA 19380 -- View map) Coalition partners for this event include Pennsylvania NOW, National NOW and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

NY Activists: Join NOW NY State Dec. 4!

Demand health care reform that includes full reproductive rights for ALL women! Join with the National Organization for Women New York State chapter, local activists and prominent reproductive rights advocates to say NO to any Stupak-Pitts-like amendements in the National Health Care Reform package. Full Reproductive Rights for Women....Nothing More, Nothing Less

Location: Front of Senator Schumer's office 757 Third Avenue (at 48th Street) NYC Date: Dec. 4, 2009 Time: Noon until 2:00 pm

FMF Organizers, Intern and Campus Leader on Feminist Magazine radio show!

FMF Campus Organizers Jacqueline Sun and Allie McDonald, FMF Intern and UC Santa Cruz student, Lindsay Frank and Pasadena City College Feminist Club leader, Marissa Anderson were featured on the KPFK/Pacifica Radio show, "Feminist Magazine" last night!

Jacqueline and Allie gave a recap of the Western Regional Feminist Leadership Conference and spoke about the next steps - specifically the STOP STUPAK Day of Action on Dec. 2! If you're in DC, go to the Lobby Day/Rally! If you're in LA, come to the FMF Headquarters for our STOP STUPAK phone banks! And if you're anywhere in between, take action on your campus, organize an on-campus call-in-day, and visit your Senators' and Representative's local office!

Marissa spoke about what inspired her to launch the PCC Feminist Club last spring and about her speaking role in the FMF's recent Western conference.

And Lindsay spoke about what it's like to intern at the FMF (we are currently accepting applications for Spring 2010) and her plans to launch a feminist club at UC Santa Cruz in January.

You can listen now! Just visit the KPFK archives, and scroll down to Feminist Magazine. Then click "play" or "download" and enjoy!

Leave a comment letting us know what you think!