Statement from Stephanie Schriock on Rep. Todd Akin’s Candidacy for Missouri Senate

"You sold out the women of Missouri, and you want a promotion for that?"

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Today, Republican Rep. Todd Akin announced his intention to challenge Sen. Claire McCaskill for the Missouri Senate seat. EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock released the following statement:

"Representative Akin has spent over a decade amassing one of the worst records in Washington when it comes to protecting women and their families," said Schriock. "Akin has voted in favor of wage discrimination, against family planning, and for ending Medicare as we know it.

"He's already one of the worst offenders in the Republican war on women, and now he wants to take his appalling agenda statewide. I have one question for him: You sold out the women of Missouri, and you want a promotion for that?"

EMILY's List is releasing the following memo to Missouri women regarding their choice in the upcoming election for Senate.

To: Women of Missouri
From: EMILY's List
Re: That terrible, awful, no good, very bad, Akin

It pains us to tell you that Rep. Todd Akin ranks among the most vehemently anti-woman, anti-family members of Congress. For the past 10 years, he’s engaged in a cradle to grave assault on the programs and services that women need to stay healthy and raise healthy kids.

To commemorate his announcement that he'd like a promotion, we've compiled this quick list of FAQs on Akin's tenure to date. We hope you'll find it helpful.

• Cutting Social Security? Akin says it was a "terrible investment" anyway!
• Ending Medicare as we know it? Akin’s on board.
• Making sure Mom makes as much as Dad would at the same job? Akin's not for that.
• Changing the definition of rape so that some are legally 'worse' than others? Akin is totally on board.
• Compelling the IRS to audit rape victims who seek to end a pregnancy? Akin thinks that's entirely appropriate.
• Defunding preventative services like cancer screenings and birth control? Check!
• Increasing aid to public schools, colleges, and early childhood education? Certainly not.
• Extending unemployment benefits in the middle of the recession? No way!

Welcome to the race, Rep. Akin. At least we can all see where you stand.

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 900,000 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 84 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 25 year history.

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