Tag Archives: National Women’s Law Center


	Our Military Women Deserve Better



	Tell your Members of Congress to end the outrageous abortion coverage ban for military women who have been raped.

How would you feel if I told you that our military women are banned from having abortion coverage in cases of rape and incest?

You should be outraged.

Tell your Members of Congress to end the outrageous abortion coverage ban for servicewomen and military dependents who have been raped or experienced incest.

Currently, an extreme policy prevents servicewomen and military dependents from having coverage for abortion services if they become pregnant as the result of rape or incest. This unfair policy forces them to pay for the abortion care they need, unlike their civilian counterparts who also depend on the federal government for their health insurance.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Last spring, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would remove this abhorrent ban. It passed the Senate Armed Services Committee with a bi-partisan vote, even gaining support from Senators Carl Levin and John McCain (the Chairman and Senior Republican on the Committee). Congress will finalize the NDAA soon — they may even begin this week. The only thing in the way of ending this unjust ban is some anti-choice Members of Congress who are willing to play politics with the women that serve this nation.

We can’t allow that to happen. As millions of Americans observe Veterans Day, we’re reminded of the sacrifices our military women make every day for us — now it’s our duty to stand up for them: tell your Members of Congress to end the abortion coverage ban for servicewomen and military dependents who become pregnant due to rape or incest.

Thank you for continuing to protect women’s reproductive health.

Sincerely,

Judy Waxman
Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Your support allows us to continue to fight for women’s reproductive health, as well as work on many other critical issues. Please consider making a generous donation today.

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Last Call to Register! Tax Credits Webinars

10/16/2012 Nativegrl77


We recently invited you to two upcoming tax credit webinars – can you make it? These webinars will give you the tools you need to spread the word about tax credits in your community. Even if you can’t attend at the webinar as it is happening, register anyway – we will send you a recording of the webinar for you to watch when it’s convenient for you. Register for both webinars today! Hope you can join us! Amy Matsui Senior Counsel National Women’s Law Center


	Register for both webinars today!



	Help make sure families get the tax credits they deserve.

Rent, groceries, medical bills, car payments… and the list goes on. Life is expensive, but believe it or not, tax season can actually help! That’s because thousands of dollars are available as tax credits to many eligible families.
Unfortunately, millions of dollars of these federal and state tax credits go unclaimed each year. So if you work or volunteer in an organization that serves low- or moderate- income families, join us to find out just how you can help them learn about these opportunities.
Register Now: Attend two free online trainings to get the tools you need to spread the word about tax credits in your community.
Part I – Tax Credits: What Families Need to Know Tuesday, October 16 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
This webinar will cover:

Basic information about valuable federal and state tax credits for families, including:
- The federal EITC, which is worth up to $5,751 for low- and moderate-income families with children
- The federal Child Tax Credit, which is worth up to $1,000 per child
- The federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which is worth up to $2,100 for families with child care expenses
- Similar state credits
A few key tips for sharing information about tax credits with families

Part II – Tax Credits Outreach Made Easy: Tips & Tools for Advocates Tuesday, October 23 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
This webinar will unveil NWLC’s brand-new, updated, easy-to-use Tax Credits Outreach Toolkitand will provide you with:

Free outreach materials
Information to help you connect with local coalitions
Ways to find free tax preparation services in your community
Some simple but successful techniques for spreading the word about tax credits

Register today! These webinars are free, but participants must register separately for each in advance. A recording of each webinar will be emailed to all registrants within a few days of its conclusion.
In addition to the webinars, you can also sign up to be one of our community partners. Community partners receive customized resources that make it easy to spread the word about tax credits to eligible families in your community, as well as technical assistance on issues relating to tax credits outreach activities.
We hope you can join us!
Sincerely,

Amy Matsui Senior Counsel National Women’s Law Center

P.S. If you’re interested in doing more tax credits outreach in your community, remember to sign up for our community partner program in addition to the webinars!

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Tell Congress – This Is Personal

09/28/2012 Nativegrl77

WILD HORSES?

www.thisispersonal.org

Some members of Congress are working overtime trying to place restrictions on women’s reproductive health care.

This January, a new Congress, including many newly elected members, will get to work. Lawmakers either can set a new, positive agenda on women’s health, or they can spend another two years trying to limit your ability to make decisions about your own reproductive health.

If women speak up now –loudly and in one voice – we can send the message that decisions about our reproductive health are not up for debate.

Sign the petition today and tell the new Congress: This Is Personal.

Our Message to the Incoming Congress: www.thisispersonal.org

Decisions about women’s reproductive health are personal. As you prepare to take office in 2013, my decisions about birth control, pregnancy and reproductive health services are not up for grabs.

Leila Abolfazli
Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center

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Pregnant Workers Deserve Better – Take Action

09/25/2012 Nativegrl77

http://www.nwlc.org/our-issues


	Tell Congress: Pregnant Workers Deserve Better



	Tell your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to ensure that pregnant women are treated fairly on the job.

Did you hear the good news?
Last week, the Senate introduced the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to ensure that pregnant women aren’t forced out of their jobs.
But just because a bill was introduced doesn’t mean it will move unless we turn the pressure up. That’s where you come in.
Take Action: Please Contact Your Members of Congress today and ask them to co-sponsor the bill. The more co-sponsors, the more likely this bill will move forward.
Forty years ago, women were expected to quit their jobs when they became pregnant. Back then, pregnancy was widely regarded as a disabling condition.
Today, it is now a well-accepted fact that most women remain perfectly healthy and able to work throughout their pregnancies, and since 1978 pregnancy discrimination has been illegal. Yet women in physically demanding jobs are STILL being forced out of the workplace, just because they need temporary, minor modifications to their job duties during pregnancy. As a result, expectant mothers are losing their jobs when they can least afford it.
Here are three startling examples:

Heather got fired from Wal-Mart for carrying a water bottle.
Natasha was forced onto unpaid leave and then fired because her district manager at Rent-A-Center found out she needed help with occasional heavy lifting on the sales floor.
Sarah lost her job at a fast food restaurant for taking bathroom and water breaks.

And what do all of these women have in common? All three needed only minor accommodations to continue safely working during pregnancy. But because their employers refused, all three were forced out of work.
That’s why we need to build support for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Please join us by asking your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the bill.
Thank you for your help!
Sincerely,

Emily J. Martin Vice President and General Counsel National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Fired up? Help spread the word by forwarding this action alert to friends, family and colleagues.
P.P.S. Need more info? Check out NWLC’s resources on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

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It’s an American Classic – Our Social Security System

08/15/2012 Nativegrl77

What’s an American classic? Something that stays fresh and wonderful generation after generation. Something that says, “This is America.” Like ice cream cones. The Statue of Liberty. Sunday drives. The March on Washington and “I have a dream.” I Love Lucy.And our Social Security system.

Social Security - It's An American Classic!

Celebrate Social Security’s birthday. Share this on:

On this date in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. On its 77th birthday, we hail Social Security as an American classic! Why?

Social Security has brought Americans together across generations. Working together, we’ve built a system that provides income and security for workers and their families when they need it — when income is lost due to retirement, disability, or death.
For three-quarters of a century, through wars, recessions, natural disasters — and stock market crashes — Social Security has made every payment, on time and in full.
Social Security is the foundation of retirement security for most Americans — especially women. Without income from Social Security, half of women 65 and older would be poor.
Social Security is a family insurance plan that protects young workers, their spouses, and their children. More than 3.2 million children rely on Social Security.

And Social Security is still going strong! Even with no changes, it can pay 100 percent of promised benefits for the next 20 years, and 75 percent of promised benefits after that. Yes, there’s a long-term shortfall. But to put it in perspective: eliminating the entire 75-year shortfall costs about as much as extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the richest two percent.
Social Security will only turn 77 once! To celebrate this American classic you can:

Share the image on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Or, forward this email to your friends, family, and co-workers.

When he signed the Social Security Act, President Roosevelt said that this law “represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means complete.” Since 1935 Americans have expanded and improved this structure, providing benefits for widows and children, workers with disabilities, benefits for divorced spouses (initially, after a 20-year marriage, later reduced to 10 years), eliminating sex discrimination in the award of benefits, and providing automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that help protect the value of Social Security benefits from eroding over time.
We need your help to protect and strengthen Social Security! Later this year, Congress will make far-reaching budget decisions — and cuts to Social Security benefits, particularly by reducing annual cost-of-living adjustments, are reportedly on the table. After Congress returns, we’ll keep you posted and make it easy for you to take action to protect Social Security. In addition, the policy makers we choose in November will make important decisions about the future of our Social Security system. So be sure you’re registered to vote!
Sincerely,