Montana Women's Lobby

Next week, the Department of Health and Human Services is wrapping up the public comment period on its new regulations regarding women’s access to contraceptives and other preventive health care services. Send DHHS a short message telling them why all women should have access to affordable birth control and contraceptives NOW, before the public comment period ends!

DHHS needs to hear from you. With some conservative religious voices trying to further expand the existing exemptions for religiously-affiliated organizations, there’s a risk that many women who work in those organizations (such as schools and hospitals) would be denied coverage for necessary preventive health care services.

Send a short message today! Tell them: Birth control is a regular and vital part of women’s preventive health care. It’s expensive, and it should be covered.

Yesterday afternoon, the Senate voted along straight party lines to prevent the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 3220) from receiving an up-or-down vote. Even with support by a majority of senators, this important fair pay legislation was blocked by procedural rules and partisan deadlock.

This is so frustrating! Two-thirds of American families depend fully or in part upon women’s paychecks, and yet women still make just 77 percent, on average, of what men made on average in 2010. The senate’s inability to act has significant, real-world implications for millions of American women and families.

Your senators need to hear how you feel about their votes. If they supported the bill you can strengthen their resolve and encourage them to keep fighting for fair pay. If they chose partisan gridlock over real change for women, you can express your disappointment in their vote.

See how your Senator voted; then dial 1-888-678-9475 and say, “I’m from the state of______, and I’m calling today to say that I’m pleased (or disappointed) in my Senator’s vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. (S. 3220).”

Game on!  It’s FINALLY happening!  This Tuesday at 2:15pm EDT the U.S. Senate will finally vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act!  

Time is short. Your Senator needs to hear from you now, before the vote on Tuesday. (Women are also in D.C. right this very moment, delivering your petition signatures, wage discrimination stories, and more to Senators. It’s an “all hands on deck” moment!)

*Can you take 2 minutes to call your U.S. Senator now and urge a YES on the Paycheck Fairness Act?

It’s easy.  Just dial 1-888-678-9475, and say: “I’m from the state of______, and I’m calling to urge my Senator to vote YES for the Paycheck Fairness Act.”  

The Paycheck Fairness Act is very close to passing, so calls can make a big difference by letting Senators know that people across the nation are paying attention to the way they vote on this bill!

Why’s this legislation needed now?  The Paycheck Fairness Act is needed now more than ever—especially as families increasingly rely on the wages of women and mothers to stay afloat.  Yet in 2012, women – and moms in particular - are still paid less than men are paid for doing the same job. The U.S. Census found that women who worked full-time, year-round on average still made 23 cents less for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. And, the wage gap for women of color was even more staggering than for women overall: When Black and Hispanic women work full-time, year-round, they only make 62 and 53 cents, respectively, for every dollar their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts earn.

Moms experience some of the most extreme wage hits.  For example, a recent study found that with identical resumes and job experiences, mothers were offered $11,000 lower starting salaries than non-mothers (fathers, on the other hand, were offered $6,000 more in starting salaries than non-fathers). Another study found that women without children make 90 cents to a man’s dollar, mothers make 73 cents to a man’s dollar, and single moms make only about 60 cents to a man’s dollar.

Equal pay for equal work is critical to ensuring our families’ economic security. 

*Don’t forget to take a few minutes to call your U.S. Senators today at 1-888-678-9475  Just say: “I’m from the state of ______, and I’m calling to urge my Senator to vote YES for the Paycheck Fairness Act.”

Together we’re a powerful force for women and families.