Protecting Women’s Rights

One of the wisest women I have ever known was my grandmother, Molly Bee. She was the matriarch of our large and loving family, shaping the character and values of her six children, 18 grandchildren, and even 32 great-grandchildren.

I sometimes think back on everything Molly saw during her lifetime – some of America’s finest moments and some of her darkest hours. I think back on the progress we made during her lifetime, and especially the progress for women – the 19^th Amendment, Title IX, Roe v. Wade, and so much more.

I see the strides we’ve made over the last century, and I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish not just for women, but for everyone.

Today in Congress though, some on the far right are trying to roll back that incredible progress, trying to walk back some of those great strides.

When Republicans in Congress stand between women and their doctors, I think about what that means for my wife, my mother, my aunts, my sisters, and my nieces. There are real people hurt by these policies – people I respect, admire, and love. And when the Tea Party refuses to reauthorize the “Violence Against Women Act,” or when they pass the “Let Women Die Act,” or when they oppose equal pay for equal work, or when they limit the healthcare choices women can make, it affects the women in my life; it affects all women; it affects all Americans.

Too often, we’ve seen our representatives measure these issues in terms of votes and political gain, waffling on the important questions.

But you can count on this: you will always know exactly where I stand. I am 100 percent pro-choice. I believe equal pay for equal work is a fundamental right. And I will never stand between a woman and her best possible health care.

Molly Bee saw too much change for the better only to have us stand idly by as we move backwards.

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Brad Schneider
Candidate for United States Congress - 10th District