Veteran's Day: A time to honor those who serve

By Karyn Bruggeman on 11/11/2011 @ 07:30 AM

Tags: Women leaders, Patty Murray, Niki Tsongas, Kirsten Gillibrand, Claire McCaskill, Nita Lowey, Jackie Speier

The adage goes that active military accounts for less than 1% of the population, but all of us are impacted by their heroism. Nearly all of us have neighbors, friends, family members, classmates who have stepped up to serve over the past decade. As of September 2010, there were 23 million veterans living in the United States, and 2.3 million of those veterans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. There are 1.8 million women veterans, and women currently make up 14% of active duty military personnel.

This Veteran’s Day, with the number of veterans on the rise and their needs upon return to civilian life increasingly complex in today’s tough economy, it’s become clear that we need leaders who can meet these new challenges. Women may only make up 17% of Congress, but they are continuously hard at work supporting the needs of all veterans and their families. Like so many other issues, the way the EMILY’s List elected officials solve problems and advocate for other women has been essential when it comes to military and veterans affairs. These are just a few of our women who have been leaders on helping veterans:

• In October 2011 Senator Patty Murray, Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, sponsored and passed a bill to help veterans make ends meet by providing cost of living adjustments to veteran’s disability and family benefits. She also worked to pass the Women Veteran’s Health Improvement Act of 2009 which “will address many of the unique needs of female veterans, particularly those women who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.”
• Rep. Niki Tsongas, member of the House Armed Services Committee has paid particular attention to the incidence of sexual assault in the military, which affects one in three female service members. She introduced the Defense STRONG Act in April 2011, which would expand the legal rights and protections for service members who have been victims of sexual assault.
• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand knows that empowering veterans through educational opportunities and swift transitions to the work force will play a key role in the revitalization of the economy. While in the House of Representatives, Gillibrand co-sponsored the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, which ensures that all members of the military have access to the educational opportunities they deserve. In the Senate, Gillibrand helped establish a tax credit for businesses that hired recently returned soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Senator Claire McCaskill has worked to improve access of health care services to rural veterans and co-authored the HERO Act, which would require research and evaluation of the mental and physical health needs of military men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, with a particular focus on the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Rep. Nita Lowey introduced a bill to mandate that the services of United States Cadet Nurse Corps during WWII be counted as military service for the purpose of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
• Rep. Jackie Speier sponsored legislation to provide mental health screenings for veterans- to help identify mental health injuries and reduce the incidence of suicide among the veteran population.

As we celebrate this Veterans Day, may we also remember one of the best ways to honor our men and women in uniform is to help them when they come home. We’re grateful that EMILY’s List elected officials are leading the way.

Related Blog Posts

Denise Moreno Ducheny Gets Things Done

Gloria Negrete McLeod: Strong, Qualified Leader

Canvassing on E-Day Reminder All Should Volunteer!

Denise Moreno Ducheny Gets Things Done

By Karyn Bruggeman on 11/10/2011 @ 07:30 AM

Denise Moreno Ducheny’s leadership earned a reputation in the California legislature that we think is pretty great: she gets the job done. Denise is running for Congress in California’s 51st Congressional district, and we couldn’t be more excited to help put this diligent, effective leader to work in Congress next year.

When presented with opportunities to take on responsibility or pursue leadership roles, Denise has done so with an enthusiasm that stems from her desire to help those she serves. Denise has spent her career working in Southern California and has spent the past thirty years working as an attorney specializing in immigration and family law and pursuing opportunities to improve her community in every way. She first began this work serving on the San Diego Community College District as a Trustee and founding the Association of Latino Community College Trustees. Her commitment to affordable education persists to this day, and is especially relevant given the growing role community colleges play in helping those who can’t afford to attend a four year college.

During her term in the state legislature, Denise positioned herself on committees that would be both useful and relevant to the needs of those she served. In both the State Assembly and the Senate, she was the first woman and first Latino to chair the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, responsible for overseeing a state budget of over $100 billion. In that position, Denise was instrumental in passing welfare reform, protected senior homeowners, made college more affordable, and expanded access to community health clinics- to name just a few. This is a woman who is focused on the issues that matter to everyday people, and has both the drive and the leadership ability to bring about real change.

Denise will face Juan Vargas in the Democratic primary in June; a candidate who has been gunning for a place in Congress for years and is known for running aggressive campaigns. The battle in this solidly blue district along the California-Mexico border may not end there, however. Last year voters in the state of California passed a ballot initiative called Proposition 14, also known as the “open-primary initiative.” Beginning in 2012, candidates from all parties will be placed together on one ballot for the primary, and the general election in November will serve as a run-off between the two candidates who received the most votes in the primary, regardless of party affiliation. What this means is that Denise could likely face Juan Vargas in both June and November of next year.

With the help of the EMILY’s List community Denise can gather the resources she needs to take on these new challenges in stride. California’s 51st Congressional seat has never been represented by a woman in Congress. Rep. Bob Filner’s decision to run for Mayor of San Diego represents a great opportunity to give them just that, and add another pro-choice Democratic woman to Congress -- one who can serve as an authentic and authoritative voice for the diverse needs of her district and the country.

Learn more about her campaign and help her win in June and November!

Related Blog Posts
We've trained 565 people this year through POP

Mitt Romney's Views on Choice Depends on Who's Asking

Gloria Negrete McLeod: Strong Qualified Leader

By Sarah Burris on 11/10/2011 @ 07:30 AM

We’ve talked a lot this week about the EMILY’s List Political Opportunity Program and the great candidates we currently have moving up the political pipeline. California state Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod is a perfect example of another strong, qualified leader working to change the face of politics, and EMILY’s List is excited to put her "On the List!"

The newly created 35th congressional district in California includes the majority of the district that Gloria has served throughout her distinguished career in public service. Indeed, nearly 90% of the 35th district is her Senate district – and it includes her hometown! From the moment Gloria saw the new district, she said “I’m in, I’m in, I’m in, I’m in!"

Touting nearly four decades of community involvement, Gloria is such a trusted leader that she garnered more than 60% of the vote in her first Assembly election in 2000 and her first State Senate election in 2006. She’s raised her children in the district, was President of the Chaffey Community College Board, and spent her career in public service fighting for education. She’s also been an advocate for access to affordable health care – particularly in the area of mental health.

It has been particularly important over the past few years to have had Gloria working for the people of California. While we’ve seen Republican attacks on worker rights in states across the country, Gloria has been an ally to teachers, firefighters, and police officers in California. Her husband was a former police lieutenant, and she knows firsthand how those pensions contribute to the bottom line in family budgets. That’s why she sits on the Public Employment and Retirement Committee and has authored several bills this session relating to public employees.

Gloria has also been a strong advocate for women. As the chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, she has worked to ensure that all elected women are unified in the fight to help women and families during these tough times. She also serves on the board of the State of California’s Commission on the Status of Women that exists to advocate for the women and girls of California. The Commission creates a public policy agenda that shows unique ways the state and private sector businesses can better serve the needs of women and families.

We’re lucky to have someone like Gloria Negrete McLeod running for Congress. Since she announced, Cong. Joe Baca, who represents just barely half of the new district, announced that he will also be running in the Democratic primary election. We know Gloria can win, and her proven track record shows she can get things done for the people of this new district. This is without a doubt something we could use in Washington today!

Learn more about Gloria Negrete McLeod and help her run and win in June and November!

Related Blog Posts
We've trained 565 people this year through POP

Mitt Romney's Views on Choice Depends on Who's Asking

Canvassing on E-Day Reminder all Should Volunteer!

By Sarah Pierz on 11/10/2011 @ 07:15 AM

Tags: Why women

Karyn, Sarah, and Miriam volunteering on Election Day in Virginia.

Tuesday I had the opportunity to Get Out The Vote for Pamela Danner’s campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates. Two of my fellow interns and I headed out to Fairfax County to knock on doors and make sure people were getting to the voting booth.

We spent most of our day in highly competitive districts with populations split between Republicans and Democrats nearly evenly, so it was key that Democrats made it to their polling place. When I was out walking around in different neighborhoods I had the chance to meet a lot of impassioned local Democrats. They were more than happy to chat about ousting Republicans and their radical regimes from office, and I was too.

It was a great reminder to get out in the field and see why EMILY’s List does what it does. Elections are a true example of a government ‘for the people and by the people’. Elections need people: people to vote and people to volunteer. It may not seem like much to knock on doors, and truthfully, it’s not. It’s a pretty easy job and a great way to spend a day out in the sunshine. Even though it’s an easy job to do, it’s an important one. When Election Day rolls around, that reminder can make all the difference.

It was my first ever canvassing experience and the greatest take-away I had from the day was the impact volunteers can have on a campaign. Off-cycle and down ballot elections may not get top billing in the news, but these are the lawmakers who tend to have the greatest impact on your daily life. Pamela’s campaign focused on education policy, protecting the environment, and protecting a woman’s right to choose. These are the kinds of issues that affect women and families every day. Getting involved in these campaigns, even, and especially, as a volunteer can make a huge difference. EMILY’s List is a great way to find candidates who believe in the same things you do; get involved in their campaigns and join Team EMILY. I can say from experience, you will not regret it.

Although Pamela’s election didn’t turn out the way we had hoped, I was honored to be a part of the process, even just for the day.

Related Blog Posts
Victory for Suzanne Bonamici

POP has Trained 565 This Year!

Tell House Republicans to Stop Their Attacks on Women!

VIDEO: Thank you from Suzanne Bonamici

By Sarah Burris on 11/09/2011 @ 05:59 AM

Tags: Suzanne Bonamici

We are so grateful for all of your support, and we’re counting on you to help Suzanne get off to a good start for the general election. Contribute today to help her keep up the momentum.