EMILY's List President Statement on Republicans' Latest Attack on Women’s Health Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, released the following statement on Sen. Blunt’s Amendment to the transportation bill, which would allow employers to deny women and their families any kind of health care coverage for any undefined moral or religious reason. A vote is expected on this amendment as early as this afternoon.

“The amendment offered by Sen. Blunt would allow your boss to make your private medical decisions for you and decide what kind of health care coverage you received,” said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List. “That is simply un-American. The core of our democracy is individual liberty – that means making our own choices to be healthy and successful.

“This amendment goes so far beyond birth control – employers and corporations could decide to deny any kind of coverage to workers for any reason they wanted. Women and men everywhere should be outraged at this attack on American values. This country was built on individual freedom to reach the American dream – and that means making our own economic and family decisions.

“If Missouri knew that instead of the promised focus on jobs, this was the kind of leadership they could expect from Roy Blunt and the Republicans, you can bet election day 2010 would have looked a lot different. This battle only underscores the need to send more pro-choice Democratic women to Washington so we can fight these attacks on our liberty at the source. Democratic women in Congress are standing up to the right and their regressive agenda – and EMILY’s List is ready to send them reinforcements in November.”

In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List raised more than $38.5 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With a community of more than 1,000,000 members across the country, EMILY's List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has worked to elect 87 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 16 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices. In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List had the largest number of members and donors in our 27 year history.