Gillibrand Blasts Ruling on Wal-mart Discrimination Case - Canandaigua, NY by Julie Sherwood- MPNnow

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U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to overturn the lower court’s ruling that would have allowed more than one million women to proceed with a class-action discrimination lawsuit against Wal-mart.

“I am deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the lower court’s decision and deny the largest civil rights class action suit in our history from moving forward. Pay discrimination in the workplace is unacceptable and all too real. Women in this country will continue to face an uphill battle until Congress fulfills its obligation to level the playing field and close existing loopholes by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act. The time to end discrimination is now and I will continue to work with my colleagues to end this economic injustice"

Sen. Gillibrand Statement on Senate Republicans' Attack on Women's Health

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement in response to the introduction of legislation by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and 29 of their Republican colleagues attacking women’s health by going beyond existing federal law that already prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions in the new health care law:

“When we should all be focused on creating jobs and growing our economy, Republicans are mounting an egregious, ideological effort to please their base and launch an all out assault on the rights of women, and the health services for millions of American families. Current law is clear: federal funds cannot be used to provide abortions. That has been the law of the land for 30 years. Their shameless attacks show a blatant disregard for women, who shoulder the worst of the health care costs.”

Emily's List Live Chat with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Part 1

EMILY's List Live with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Part 2

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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sat down with EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock for the inaugural EMILY's List Live event, streamed through Facebook

Sen. Gillibrand Statement on Senate Republicans’ Attack on Women’s Health

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement in response to the introduction of legislation by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and 29 of their Republican colleagues attacking women’s health by going beyond existing federal law that already prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions in the new health care law:

“When we should all be focused on creating jobs and growing our economy, Republicans are mounting an egregious, ideological effort to please their base and launch an all out assault on the rights of women, and the health services for millions of American families. Current law is clear: federal funds cannot be used to provide abortions. That has been the law of the land for 30 years. Their shameless attacks show a blatant disregard for women, who shoulder the worst of the health care costs.”

Crowley Speaks Out Against GOP’s Pro-Tax Increase and Anti-Choice Bill

Below are Congressman Joe Crowley’s (D-Queens, the Bronx) remarks as prepared for delivery on the House floor today during debate on the Republicans’ H.R. 3 – legislation that would infringe on Americans’ rights to make decisions about their own health as well as prohibit employers from receiving tax credits for employees’ health care coverage if the plan includes abortion care, ultimately raising costs for employees’ health insurance and burdening America’s small businesses:

“Mr. Speaker, on the Republicans’ 100^th day of majority rule in the House, I stood speechless on the House floor at their failed campaign promise to focus on job creation and economic growth.

“They say actions speak louder than words, and it is true.

“For all the Republicans’ talk about putting Americans back to work, their actions demonstrate this is the least of their priorities. Instead, they have cut jobs, raised taxes and reduced Americans’ access to health care.

“The bill being debated today also has no jobs component whatsoever. In fact, it will raise taxes and hamper small businesses. In their ideological zeal to restrict women’s right to choose, the Republicans have prioritized a measure that the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce calls a “slap in the face” to small business owners.

“My colleagues, please remember that your actions, not words, are what truly speak for you.

“If you vote for this bill, you are voting to raise taxes and hurt small businesses.

“I urge you to vote to uphold your campaign promises.

“Vote no on this bill and let’s get back to work on America’s priorities.”

Gillibrand Jabs Kyl With A 'Factual Statement' by Reid Pillifant - The New York Observer

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On the Senate floor today, Kirsten Gillibrand took a little swipe at her Republican colleague from Arizona, Jon Kyl.

Last week, Kyl told the C-SPAN cameras that providing abortions was "well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does," a statement his office later walked back as "not intended to be a factual statement."

Naturally, this made nice fodder for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. And today, when the women of the Senate Democratic caucus took to the floor to push back against Republican's proposed restrictions, Gillibrand got in her own jab.

"For my friends and colleagues, this is a factual statement — current law already prevents federal money from paying for abortions," she said, referring to the Hyde Amendment, the perpetual rider that's been in place since 1976. "This has been the law of the land for over 30 years."

Gillibrand seems to have gotten a little more aggressive over the past few months, emboldened maybe by having been elected to the upper chamber, but more likely just stirred up by the Republican House, which has made a particular point of going after women's issues.

Last week, she got fired up about the Republicans' proposed riders in the budget deal, and this swipe at Kyl—small as it is—demonstrates some slightly sharper elbows than she's shown her colleagues in the past.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: The Right Priorities for Our Working Families - The Huffington Post

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The 2010 election was a mandate for one thing: creating jobs and strengthening our economy for the long term. I heard that message loud and clear from New York families in every corner of our state, and I am working with my colleagues in Congress on solutions that will help create good-paying jobs and get the economy moving again for everyone.

But, instead of focusing on rebuilding the economy, House Republicans have unleashed an extreme ideological attack on America's women and working families with HR 1, the first bill they introduced this Congress.

The House-passed bill slashed critical funding for prenatal care, including $750 million from nutrition programs for pregnant women and infant children.

It denies more than 5 million American women access to breast and cervical cancer screenings that could potentially save their lives.

Their budget cuts affect early childhood education deeply -- cutting more than $1 billion from Head Start, and nearly $40 million from child care, depriving nearly 370,000 children from the early learning needed to put them on a path to a bright future.

And despite the overwhelming demand from the American people for Democrats and Republicans to work together to invest in job creation policies, House Republicans slashed nearly $1.5 billion from the job training programs we need to prepare America's workforce for the jobs of today and the high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

But, more than these dollar figures and the irresponsible budgeting and priorities from Republicans, this debate is about the working families who rely on these resources to make ends meet each day. From the single mother who will no longer be able to provide nutritious meals for her young children to the young woman in who will no longer have access to the early cancer screenings that could save her life to our children who will never walk through the doors of a university years from now because the doors to early education are being closed to them today. We cannot slash and burn our way to a healthy society and a thriving economy.

These are the wrong priorities for New York and the wrong policies for America.

Instead of marginalizing women, Congress must get to work on policies that can foster job creation and fuel economic growth. I have a range of proposals that can help get us there.

I have authored legislation that empowers more women and minority-owned businesses with the resources to help guide these budding entrepreneurs to be leaders of our economy, opening up access to the credit they desperately need to get their businesses off the ground.

I have also authored legislation to support the increase of young girls and minorities in the fields of math and science to generate the leaders we need in emerging high-tech industries that will be the future of our economy.

I'm fighting to make childcare more affordable for working parents so they can continue working and advancing their careers, closing wage gaps that for too long have held women back from the fair economic opportunities they need.

And, as our troops return home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and our women veterans become one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless veteran population, I'm partnering with businesses and working to provide them with tax credits in exchange for hiring recent veterans so our heroes have better access to good-paying jobs after serving our country.

These are the priorities that I am urging my Republican colleagues to join me on. And we can all do our part -- because this debate isn't just happening in the halls of Congress. It's happening in each and every one of our communities, at kitchen tables and living rooms, in our schools and in our churches. It's up to all of us to get off the sidelines and join the effort to protect our families and the resources that keep our communities safe, healthy and thriving.

We will not stand for this attack on America's women and working families.

It's time to focus on real solutions that will create jobs and build our economy for real strength and stability -- not just for the fortunate few, but for every American.

Senator Gillibrand Urges Congress to Protect Rights of Women in Middle East, North Africa by Heather McDaniel -Capitol Confidential

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In the wake of populist uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, a bipartisan group of female senators, including Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has banded together to ensure that women’s rights are not forgotten amid the tumult.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. (AP Photo/Drew Angerer)

Gillibrand, along with 15 other senators, will introduce a resolution recognizing the importance of women’s rights and their political participation as new governments begin to take shape in the region.

“We have witnessed courageous women leaders throughout the Middle East and North Africa risking their lives to advance the cause of freedom, democracy and basic human rights,” Gillibrand said. “As Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton has rightly said, ‘The rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21^stCentury.’As we honor these inspiring women, I also urge all world leaders to continue the push for women’s progress.”

While women have stood beside men and participated in several uprisings in the region, the senators say they are currently being excluded from the political process in many places. In Egypt, no women have been included in the council in charge of reforming the constitution and Tunisia only two have been appointed to the transitional government.

“In societies where women are equal, where they have the right to vote and to hold office, and where they are empowered to be leaders in their communities, those nations are so much more likely to thrive,” Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said in a press release. “Those are the societies that bring up the next generation with the right values, the solid education, and the economic vitality to succeed.”

The resolution, led by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, is a joint effort between all 16 female Senators and is slated to be introduced sometime next week.

“This resolution recognizes that women are important change agents in their societies and reaffirms that countries are more stable and secure when women are empowered and involved,” Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, said.

New York State Senate Honors Women's History Month...

The New York State Senate recognizes Women's History Month and honors historic New York women whose achievements in arts, science, government, military, labor, education, and social reform have earned them recognition as "Women of Distinction.

Gillibrand's Fight: The War on Women - WNYC

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Today on the Brian Lehrer Show,Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) talked about the new White House report on the status of women and the potential impacts of the House Republicans' budget cuts.

New York's junior Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) has criticized the Republican-proposed budget cuts as a masquerade for ideology that is unfair to women. She's called it a "misjudgment" of what the American people want.

She pointed to cuts to nonprofits that deal with health care for women as an example. These aren't just jabs at reproductive care, they're jabs at overall health care, she said.

I feel like it's much more of an all-out assault on women that is not just about reproductive rights. Apparently they don't believe that women's health care should be funded. Companies and organizations and not-for-profits like Planned Parenthood, that's their job. They outreach to at-risk women and deliver a full range of health care services to them, including mammograms and pre-cancer screenings and including prenatal care, so when the pregnant women needs help to make sure that the child she bears is healthy, they don't even want to fund that.

Sen. Gillibrand highlighted data in the White House's report on womenon the stubborn wage gap between women and men. The report found that women are more likely to be heads of households in single parent families than men and these women have the lowest family earnings among all family types.

So the statistics and studies show that when women earn less, it affects children. It's the number one indicator of how much that child will have opportunities for education or health care or to really reach their potential so it really hurts children when women earn less than their male counterparts for the very same work...For every dollar a man earns, a woman earns 78 cents on that dollar.

Sen. Gillibrand's big concern is women that aren't entering advancing fields, like math and science. Another finding in the White House report showed that even though women earn more bachelors degrees overall, they earn less than half of the degrees in math, physical science, engineering and computer science, and those numbers are on the decline.

There aren't enough women in the higher levels of most professions, including politics, Gillibrand said.

We have so few women who are running for office. We still only have 17 women in the United States Senate...those are terrible indicators. Women have to be involved because if they don't participate, decisions are going to be made about every aspect of their lives and they might not like what those decisions are.

EMILY's List Senators: Fighting for Us - YouTube

EMILY's List senators including Barbara Mikulski, Maria Cantwell, Barbara Boxer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Patty Murray headed to the Senate floor to speak up for women and families. They're standing up against the GOP's war on women.

Go to http://emilyslist.org/senate to sign the petition to show our EMILY's List senators that we have their backs

Planned Parenthood Rally on February 26th at Foley Square...

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