JEC Mother’s Day Report Shows Women Earn 18% Less than Men

Washington, D.C. – With Mother’s Day approaching, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC), chaired by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), today released a new report which finds women earn 82 cents for every dollar earned by men and that this persistent gender pay gap harms families and weakens the economy.

The report entitled, “Mother’s Day Report: Paycheck Fairness Helps Families, Not Just Women,” also shows that mothers’ earnings play a key role in supporting their families.  Two-thirds of mothers work outside the home and one in three working mothers is the only income earner in her family, the report shows. 

“This new JEC report makes clear that women are still getting paid significantly less than men for the same work,” said Chairman Casey.  “The stubborn pay gap harms families who depend on women’s earnings and limits our nation’s economic growth.    We need to close the pay gap and passing the Paycheck Fairness Act will help.”

The report also finds that mothers’ earnings are especially important to lower-income families.  While mothers’ wages account for 38 percent of total family income for the typical two-earner family, for families at the bottom 10 percent of the income distribution, mothers’ earnings provide nearly half (49.5 percent) of household income.

“The pay gap is both a fairness and an economic issue,” continued Casey. “It’s simply wrong that women aren’t paid the same for doing the same work, but there is a steep economic cost as well. When women have fewer dollars in their paycheck, they have less money to support their families and fewer dollars to put back into the economy.”

Additionally, the report finds that the gender wage gap varies across states, with women in Louisiana, for example, facing a gender pay gap of 30.6 percent, while the pay gap in California is the lowest – 9.5 percent. (See Table)

Study: Female CFOs Earn 16 Percent Less Than Men

A study by corporate governance firm GMI Ratings recently found that female chief financial officers (CFOs) at U.S. companies are paid an average of 16 percent less than their male counterparts of similar age at companies of comparable market values.  The study’s model also accurately predicted a CFO’s gender: the lower the salary, the more likely the CFO would be female.

Montana Health Care Coverage Statistics Come up Short

Montana sure comes up short for the percentage of private sector businesses offering health insurance to employees in 2010.  According to the May 2012 AARP Bulletin, Montana is 49th out of the 50 states!  Only Wyoming is behind us.  What a dismal statistic!

When you factor in the fact that more women than men work part time or in jobs that do not offer health insurance, this statistic means that a huge number of Montana women do not have access to any health insurance.

During this election season, anytime a candidate comes to your door, ask him or her what they will do to improve Montana’s healthcare options, especially for women.  Then, when you vote in November for candidates for both state and federal positions, please keep in mind what each candidate will (or won’t) do to help women get adequate health insurance for themselves and their families.

NOTE: The AARP Bulletin is not yet available online (check it out later this month), but the source for this information is listed as the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Equal Pay Day Article

Today’s Huffington Post has a great article on the importance of equal pay.  Read it at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-kirsten-gillibrand/equal-pay_b_1431936.html

The Ryan Budget takes Aim … at You!

This is not shared sacrifice.

The House of Representatives has already passed Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) brand-new budget, which slashes hundreds of billions of dollars from low-income programs while cutting taxes for our nation’s wealthiest. To be clear, this proposal cuts taxes for everyone — but the average cut for those with yearly incomes over $1 million (12.5 percent) is six times greater than the cut for middle-income people (1.9 percent). The Ryan budget would also maintain current tax cuts — but only for high-income families; this plan would allow the tax cuts for working-poor and middle-class households to expire.

This budget imposes trillions of dollars in spending cuts, 62 percent of which would come from low-income programs that women and families rely on, like Medicare, Medicaid, and federal student aid programs.

The Ryan budget flies in the face of reason. The budget should never be used as a weapon to wage war on programs critical to the economic security of women and families while handing out enormous tax cuts to the wealthiest earners. We oppose Ryan’s plan, which relies on flawed math and assumptions, and will do real and lasting harm to families, workers, and retirees.

Contact your senators today.  Tell them to oppose the Ryan budget when it is introduced in the Senate.  Instead, Congress should develop a sensible budget that promotes job creation and economic security, defends the civil rights of all Americans, and protects women’s rights.

Our Families and Communities Are Under Attack. Take Action!

The following is an action alert sent out yesterday by the Partnership for Montana’s Future, one of our coalition partners:

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Last week, House Republicans released a proposed 2013 federal budget. This proposal, dubbed the “Ryan Budget” is deceiving, damaging, and downright dangerous. It would slash spending on vital anti-poverty programs while giving tax cuts to the wealthy, likely resulting in dramatic increases in poverty and inequality. 

Call Rep. Rehberg NOW and tell him to reject the Ryan Budget.

Rep Rehberg- 888-232-2626

What makes the Ryan budget so bad?

This proposal would:

• Make 62% of the proposed cuts to programs like SNAP (Food Stamps) and Medicaid that assist low-income Montanans when times are tough
• Provide further tax cuts that unfairly benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations
• Increase the Medicare eligibility age to 67
• Privatize Medicare by turning it into a premium support program
• Repeal  health care coverage expansions in the Affordable Care Act (health reform)

With all of these cuts, this plan would put us on a path that would eliminate most of the federal government, aside from Social Security, health care, and defense, by 2050. That means funding for education, transportation, research and development, environmental protections and countless other programs and services would cease to exist.

This plan would cause immense harm to our communities, derail our economic recovery, and force millions of families into poverty.

We cannot afford such a dangerous proposal.

Call Rep. Rehberg TODAY and tell him to reject the Ryan plan.
Rep. Rehberg- 888-232-2626

Congressional Candidate Forum in Bozeman March 27th

Please join NARAL Pro-Choice Montana Foundation, Montana Women Vote, Montana Human Rights Network, AAUW-Montana, MSU Students for Choice, Montana Women For, and Montana Women’s Lobby for a Congressional Candidate Debate and Forum in Bozeman!

Come to Bozeman for this exciting opportunity to hear what candidates for Montana’s lone congressional seat have to say about many of the issues Montanans care about.

Candidates who confirmed attendance: Sen. Kim Gillan, Diane Smith, Dave Strohmaier, Rob Stutz and Rep. Franke Wilmer

After answering questions from sponsoring organizations, we will be accepting questions from the audience and there be time at the end to meet each candidate after the debate.

WHAT: Bozeman Congressional Debate and Forum
WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 27. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., Debate begins at 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Montana State University, SUB Ballroom B

For more information, contact Alex at 406.443.0276 or by email at alexandra@prochoicemontana.org.

Our Complaints Worked—Komen Foundation Revises Funding Policy

Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Don’t Succumb to Right Wing Attacks. Restore Planned Parenthood Relationship.

If you were disappointed to hear that Susan G. Komen for the Cure has succumbed to ultra-right wing attacks on Planned Parenthood, sign a petition asking Nancy G. Brinker, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, to restore the funding for and relationship with Planned Parenthood. 

To read more about what has gone on, see yesterday’s Associated Press’ article, below:

Amid abortion debate, Komen cancer charity halting grants to Planned Parenthood
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, January 31, 3:48 PM

NEW YORK — The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates — creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women.

The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams.

Planned Parenthood says the move results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress — a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups.

The rupture, which has not been publicly announced as it unfolded, is wrenching for some of those who’ve learned about it and admire both organizations.

“We’re kind of reeling,” said Patrick Hurd, who is CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia — recipient of a 2010 grant from Komen — and whose wife, Betsi, is a veteran of several Komen fundraising races and is currently battling breast cancer.

“It sounds almost trite, going through this with Betsi, but cancer doesn’t care if you’re pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative,” Hurd said. “Victims of cancer could care less about people’s politics.”

Planned Parenthood said the Komen grants totaled roughly $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before, going to at least 19 of its affiliates for breast-cancer screening and other breast-health services.

Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the cutoff results from the charity’s newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. According to Komen, this applies to Planned Parenthood because it’s the focus of an inquiry launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., seeking to determine whether public money was improperly spent on abortions.

Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has depicted Stearns’ probe as politically motivated and said she was dismayed that it had contributed to Komen’s decision to halt the grants to PPFA affiliates.

“It’s hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women’s lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying,” Richards told The Associated Press. “It’s really hurtful.”

Planned Parenthood has been a perennial target of protests, boycotts and funding cutoffs because of its role as the largest provider of abortions in the United States. Its nearly 800 health centers nationwide provide an array of other services, including birth control, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, and cancer screening.

According to Planned Parenthood, its centers performed more than 4 million breast exams over the past five years, including nearly 170,000 as a result of Komen grants.

Women’s Labor Participation Rate Lowest in Almost 20 Years

Women continue to struggle more than men in the post-recession job market. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released last week showed that the unemployment rate decreased in November – to 8.6 percent – and that women gained more than half of the 120,000 jobs added. Yet the Institute for Women’s Policy Research analyzed the new data and found that the job gap between men and women remains significant at 1.5 million jobs. Of the 1.6 million jobs added between November 2010 and November 2011, IWPR found that 474,000 were filled by women and 1,126,000 were filled by men. In addition, the female labor force participation rate fell from 58.2 percent in October to 57.9 percent in November – a decrease of more than 300,000 women and the lowest female labor force participation rate since September 1993. Female dropouts have exceeded male dropouts recently in part because state and local government layoffs have disproportionately hit women.