For Immediate Release

National Organization for Women of New Jersey

February 3, 2009

Contact: Maretta J. Short - NOW-NJ President

973 - 752 - 448

NOWNJ.ORG

Email: president@nownj.org

A Historic Succession of events such as Dr. King’s Birthday, the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama, the Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, and the passing of the Lilly Ledbetter Act left many of us with euphoria during the month of January.

However, all of these celebrative events came to a halt when our newly elected president dribbled the ball for his economic stimulus package into the Republican court for their approval.  President Obama was met with an opposing defense team that aggressively slam dunked his proposal because they disagreed with funding the Medicaid Family Services Provision (MFSP) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA) for low income women.  They wanted more tax breaks for the rich. Obama appeased the Republicans by dropping the ball on the MFSP, and called his staff to remove it from the bill, which is tantamount to taking from the poor and giving to the rich.

It is outrageous that our president, who had the ball in his court from “Jump Street” with a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives felt compelled to pass on the MFSP.  The $819 billion economic stimulus bill passed 244 to 188.  What a bitter pill for women to swallow because dropping the ball on providing family planning services through Medicaid further marginalizes low income women, particularly women of color.  Seemingly, the political gesture not only marginalizes women but it also flies in the face of the controversial cover page of Ms. Magazine’s inaugural issue that published Obama as a super hero for feminists.

Retrospectively, it is important to mention aside and a part from the (MFSP) that the recovery bill seemed to exclude Pink jobs for women and only include Green jobs for men, but to the contrary President of the National Organization for Women, Kim Gandy says, “In early reports, the recovery package seemed to focus on creating construction and physical infrastructure jobs (which, like it or not, are primarily done by men), even though women's unemployment rate is nearly as high as men's.  NOW worked with our sister organizations, the Obama transition team, and House and Senate leaders, and--would you look at that!--the ARRA includes funds for rebuilding our human infrastructure, aimed at helping struggling families and generating jobs in education and health care that women are likely to fill.  Gandy further announced,

“There are important safety net funds, increases in food stamps and unemployment compensation, tax credits for child care, and much more.  Large-scale success for women -- I had almost forgotten what that feels like!” said Gandy.

Finally, Maretta J. Short, President of the National Organization for Women of New Jersey, is optimistic about turning Obama’s actions into something positive.  “I doubt if anyone really knows why President Obama dropped the ball on Family Planning Services for low income women who have lost their jobs and health care benefits.  Obviously, it has pitted women against him and I hope it will not reduce support for the Reinvestment Act because we need it.”  Short asserts that “On the other hand, surely President Obama’s actions should strengthen support for National Health Insurance bill HR 676, which will provide Single Payer Health Care.  It is accessible, affordable, universal, culturally appropriate, and certainly it will include family planning services for all women. Why can’t we redirect our energy and start working on the health care crisis in America?  Let’s get behind HR 676 single payer health insurance from the bottom up!”

Maretta J. Short