What We're Reading This Morning -- June 5
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Good morning everyone! Yesterday, Mitt Romney hosted a fundraiser in Portland, OR, and women were out in full force sending a clear message that they are watching. Today is the biggest primary day of the year as citizens in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota all head to the polls. Meanwhile, Wisconsin will vote in a historic recall election. We’ll have more on this later. Here’s what we’re reading this morning….
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, an essential member of Team Romney, is pushing for more anti-women’s health regulations. “Women’s Health Advocates Fight Against Virginia’s Proposed Regulations Targeting Abortion Clinics” — “When the Virginia legislature voted to classify abortion clinics as hospitals instead of doctors’ offices, organizations suddenly faced onerous new restrictions establishing standards about hallway widths and how many parking spots the clinics must have. Emergency regulations went into place on January 1, and now the Virginia Health Department has released its final proposed regulations. On June 15, the state Board of Health will vote on these new rules, which critics argue will force some of the Virginia’s 23 abortion providers out of business. GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office said in December that the ‘common-sense regulations will help ensure that this procedure takes place in facilities that are modern, safe, and well-regulated.’ Women’s health advocates say it will add unnecessary architectural and building code regulations. The new requirements are expected to be similar to what has been in place since January: ‘The proposed regulations are similar to the emergency regulations, which are considered some of the toughest in the country. They regulate the size of exam rooms and hallways and the number of parking spaces; and address requirements for inspections, medical procedures and record-keeping….’”
Today, the Senate is expected to vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, despite the fact that Republicans have expressed their opposition to the legislation. Meanwhile, these same Republican lawmakers are denying that attacks on women are real. “GOP lawmakers rebutting 'war on women'” — “Every time they turn around, Republicans are under attack from Democrats who claim the GOP is anti-women. Among the litany of charges: Republicans are soft on domestic violence, they don’t want women to be paid as much as men and they aren’t willing to allow women to make their own decisions on contraception. Enter the Women’s Policy Committee, a just-formed coalition of the 24 House GOP women to bolster the party’s female message, even as its members say the anti-women criticisms are groundless. ‘I believe, right now, the so-called war on the women is a myth [and] purely political posturing,’ Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), who chairs the new group, said in a recent interview with POLITICO…. And this week, congressional Democrats will try to corner Republicans with a Senate vote on the so-called Paycheck Fairness Act, which would force businesses to prove gender isn’t causing pay gaps between men and women in the workplace, among other requirements. Senate Republicans have warned in response that the bill would cause frivolous lawsuits and unnecessary government regulation of businesses.”
