Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON — The National Organization for Women regrets the unfortunate ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in the first case of female genital mutilation brought under the federal law banning this horrific practice. We believe this ruling to be erroneous for a number of reasons. The cutting of the genitals of girls in Michigan is not just “a local criminal activity,” as the judge described it. Rather it involves interstate commerce in that girls are brought to Michigan from other states by parents who tell them they are going on vacation. This brutal attack on girls has become a matter of cutting tourism and certainly falls under the right of Congress to ban it under the interstate commerce clause.

We at NOW hope the U.S. Attorney from Michigan, who brought this case, will appeal this erroneous ruling.

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NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt

WASHINGTON – The Ohio House has passed a bill to criminalize abortions which take place after a fetal heartbeat can be detected- this can be as early as six weeks before many women even know they’re pregnant. Although Gov. John Kasich vetoed the bill once in 2016, the legislature may have enough votes now to overturn another veto—and Governor-elect Mike DeWine has promised to sign the measure once he takes office.

This dangerous, extremist legislation – which makes no exception for rape or incest – is designed to jail doctors, punish women, and overturn the law of the land.  The author of the bill, Janet Porter, worked on Roy Moore’s Senate campaign in Alabama and defended him against accusations of sexual misconduct with teen girls. Now, she says that “we literally crafted this legislation to be the arrow in the heart of Roe v Wade.  It is made to come before the United States Supreme Court.”

The stepped-up, all-out, no-holds-barred crusade against women’s health we feared with the elevation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has begun in earnest.  With this measure, Ohio is sending Justice Kavanaugh a “save the date” card to get ready to vote on repealing Roe.  This notice needs to be marked “return to sender,” and anti-choice extremists must be stopped. NOW will continue to advocate for women’s fundamental right to healthcare – including safe, affordable and legal access to abortion  – and urges its members to lobby their representatives to do the same.

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NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – The National Organization for Women (NOW) is proud to endorse Rep. Barbara Lee to be the next Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the fifth-ranking position in leadership. If elected, Rep. Lee would be the first black woman to serve in House leadership—an historic step that is long overdue.

Congresswoman Lee is a unifier—she has spent her entire career bringing members together to advance effective policies. Working with Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, she created the Poverty and Income Inequality Task Force to tackle economic insecurity, and she helped write and pass the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as well as every major HIV and AIDS legislation in recent years, building support among progressives, moderates, and conservatives.

We also know that she has the strength of character to stand up to Trump. Barbara Lee was the only member of Congress who stood up to the president when she voted against the use of force after the September 11 attacks. She was the only one who saw that attacking Iraq was an imprudent use of our military. We would have to look no further for a leader to stand against the ill-conceived militarization at our borders.

Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party and its most reliable supporters. The 2018 elections proved that people of color are continually and increasingly confronted with voter suppression efforts that denied voters fully free and fair elections. It’s not enough for Democrats to criticize voter suppression efforts and the political leaders behind them. Democrats must elect leaders that look like America, feel what voters feel, and understand the politics of exclusion from personal experience.

With a new roster of women lawmakers about to take up their positions, electing a second woman to serve with Nancy Pelosi will strengthen the Democratic caucus and send a powerful message to the country that women—particularly women of color—belong in leadership.

The next Congress will take up an unprecedented level of oversight and scrutiny towards Donald Trump’s dangerous agenda. This is why we need the best, most experienced and most talented lawmakers – and why Barbara Lee must join Nancy Pelosi in leading the most diverse Congress in history.

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NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669