“Well it's unusual for us to do an endorsement, you know, and the special occasions where you need appointments, but we thought that Senator [Hillary] Clinton had occupied such a neat and unique role, certainly a worldwide advocate for women, and also there's also only 16 women without her in Congress.” KnowsNeedsWellsRolesSpecialUniqueClintonCongressOccasionsUnusualSenatorsNeatAppointmentsEndorsementsSpecial Occasion Author:Eleanor Smeal
“We have so few women in Congress. We are so underrepresented and whether we like it or not, we are in area - in an era that still the women, the handful that are there, have two jobs: they represent the constituency that they're from, and they also represent the women of the nation or the state or sometimes as Maloney has done, of the world.” WorldStillsTwoSometimesStatesDoneJobsNationsAreasCongressErasHandfulTwo Jobs Author:Eleanor Smeal
“I've known Carolyn [Maloney] for years, by the way. I knew her when she was on the City Council and knew her when she was - when she was running, and we endorsed her very early when she ran for Congress, yet I didn't know some of the stories in here of herself and her struggle, and - and she makes a very - you know, it's - it pulls your heart as well as - but it's very practical.” KnowsWayYearsWellsHeartStoriesRunningCitiesKnownStruggleCongressPracticalsRanCouncilCity Council Author:Eleanor Smeal
“The gag rule must be eliminated, and it's just the gag rule, we're not talking now even about funding abortion. We're talking about, you know, counseling and speaking, so that's one. That can be reversed by an executive order. [George W.]Bush put it in the first day he got in office. We hope that [Barack] Obama takes it out. He had cut off funding for the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, even though Congress had appropriated. It is injured women who are the poorest of the poor.” KnowsFirstsOrderNationsPoorUnitedTalkingCuttingOfficeCongressPopulationBarackAbortionFundExecutivesUnited NationsFundingInjuredPoorestNot TalkingCounselingGagsExecutive Orders Author:Eleanor Smeal
“We want this - and I - we hope that right when they come back, that the Congress passes the Lilly Ledbetter Act which would correct the Supreme Court decision that was just recent that essentially guts wage discrimination law. It's been in place for years. It was gutted by this Roberts Court. We want it to be reversed by legislation. We hope that Congress passes it and that is on the desk for [Barack] Obama to sign as one of his first acts once he's sworn in. So it - I could go on, we have quite a well-developed list.” WantYearsFirstsWellsLawDecisionGoes OnCourtCongressListsSupremeDiscriminationBarackGutsDesksLegislationSupreme CourtCourt Decision Author:Eleanor Smeal
“We think it's so important that we get [Carolyne] Maloney in that seat [in Congress]. It's one of the reasons; we also think that she is a unique person that deserves it and would help advance women's rights.” ThinkingPersonsImportantReasonHelpingRightsUniqueDeserveCongressSeatsWomens Rights Author:Eleanor Smeal
“We need some rules changes. This is an outrage that this, the oldest democracy has now, you know, ranked - when I say ranked 59th, it means that in the percentage of women, in our national parliament, our National Congress, is now ranks 59th from the top. That means 58 countries have more women than we do in percentage wise.” KnowsNeedsMeanCountryDemocracyWiseCongressParliamentPercentagesOutrageDemocracies Have Author:Eleanor Smeal