Academic

Concerns about the draft American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

By Ann Bartow

Irasema Garza, President of Legal Momentum, writes:

Today the House Democrats unveiled the near-final version of the economic stimulus package known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, with a vote expected as early as tomorrow. While it contains some powerful measures that will support women and families in these trying economic times, it came up short on two fronts.

First, the bill fails to ensure that women will benefit from the investment in infrastructure and the green economy, in that it avoids setting any types of targets for women?s participation in these heavily male-dominated fields.

Second, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was stripped this afternoon of provisions that would make contraceptives more affordable to working women and families. The move was a concession to House Republicans who had been complaining about the small $200 million subsidy, and it means that many low-income women and couples will struggle to afford the means to act responsibly with regard to their families and health. Playing politics with contraception only serves to hurt those who can least afford it.

Please contact your United States Representative and Senators today and:

• Ask that the stimulus package include a concrete goal of 25 percent participation by women in infrastructure, green economy, and other non-traditional jobs
• Demand that the stimulus package recognize that access to affordable contraception is key to women?s health and economic security, and ask them to reinstate funding for family planning for poor women.

Please call the U.S.Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask the operator to connect you to your Senators and Representative.

Full post as published by Feminist Law Professors on January 27, 2009 (boomark / email).