June 20, 2007

After a bipartisan effort that led to the passage of the stem cell research bill in both the House and Senate, George W. Bush vetoed this legislation that would have eased restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, utilizing donated human embryos that would otherwise be destroyed. This is the second time George Bush has used his veto power to override a measure that could have led to treatment of debilitating illnesses and life-threatening diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, heart disease, spinal cord injury, and diabetes.

“With this veto, George Bush has proved once again that his allegiance is to his extremist base and not to the millions of caregivers and families who need this research,” says NOW President Kim Gandy. “Women are the majority of caregivers in our society, and this veto is an outright slap in the face for women who take on the every day burden of caring for family members who are ill or dying,” said Gandy.

There is enormous public support for stem cell research, and that is why Congress passed the measure. George Bush’s veto demonstrates that he has become even more out of touch with the country. Even the National Institutes of Health acknowledge that human embryos are the most promising of all the stem cells to offer renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

We were on the cusp of extending medical research, and with a stroke of the pen, George Bush took it away,” says Gandy. “This is even more reason to change the face of politics. We need a government and a leader who considers the health and safety of women, girls and families.”

The following is a statement From Marriage Equality RI on the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention:

Today legislators in Massachusetts, under the leadership Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, courageously stood up against fear, bias, and discrimination. We applaud the 155 members of the Massachusetts {legislature} who stood up against bias, defeating the amendment by a greater margin than expected. Marriage Equality Rhode Island was pleased to see the Massachusetts legislators vote against sending the civil rights of same sex couples to a popular vote. Massachusetts, always a beacon of progress and equality, has NEVER written discrimination into its Constitution. With hundreds of Rhode Island couples already married in Massachusetts, and hundreds more planning their weddings, this vote has particular significance for all Rhode Islanders. We commend our colleagues at MassEquality for this hard-won fight, and will continue to work for equal marriage here in Rhode Island. We look forward to following the standard set by our sister state, and urge the Rhode Island legislature to support the right of all Rhode Island couples to marry in their home state.

MERI believes that a civil society guarantees to all of its citizens certain civil rights; civil marriage is one of these fundamental rights. Each and every adult in Rhode Island - regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation - deserves the opportunity to attain the legal protections and safeguards gained through civil marriage.

June 07, 2007

In a 247-176 bipartisan vote, the House today passed a bill that would allow federal funding of stem cell research utilizing donated human embryos. If signed into law, this bill would offer people with serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injuries the chance for a better life. The Senate passed a similar bill in April, reflecting the fact that an overwhelming majority of the public supports this research.

According to a recent poll, 62 percent of people in the U.S. approve of medical research using embryonic stem cells, and nearly 60 percent want more taxpayer money to be used for this promising line of research. President Bush’s 2005 veto of similar legislation and his current threat to veto this bi-partisan measure exposes his willingness to pander to his ultra-conservative supporters, regardless of the price the public will pay.

“Women are the majority of family caregivers, and the heartbreak of having a loved one with a debilitating illness and the related burden of their care could both be lifted with this bill,” said NOW President Kim Gandy. “Although George W. Bush seems stubbornly bent on pleasing his right-wing base, we urge him not to choose religious and political extremism over medical progress.”

NOW thanks members of the House and Senate for their bipartisan support. “We must continue to change the face of politics so that our leaders will put our health, our families and our well-being at the top of the nation’s priorities,” said Gandy.

Statement of NOW President Kim Gandy

June 6, 2007

At the very core of our liberty as modern women is the ability to control our fertility and plan our families, but there is an all-out attack on birth control in this country.

Religious and political extremists are trying to make it impossible for women to fill their birth control prescriptions or get the morning-after pill to prevent pregnancies. Their efforts to limit pharmacy access especially affect women in rural areas with few pharmacies, and low income women with limited transportation.

We congratulate Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) for introducing the Access to Birth Control Act (ABC) to restore contraceptive options to those who most need them.