Saturday, May 07, 2022

We Won’t Go Back.

 

Feminist Majority Foundation
 

Dear Common Ills,

Across the nation outraged women and men are determined not to go back. Ready to march.  Ready to fight.  Most of all—READY TO VOTE.  READY TO HOLD POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE.

 

We must ACT NOW as though the Supreme Court’s decision is final. There’s no question that women’s lives are on the line. That’s why I’m rushing this notice to all supporters of The Feminist Majority.

 

HERE ARE TWO IMMEDIATE ACTION STEPS ALL OF US MUST TAKE BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

 

Urgent Action Step #1.  In advance of the final Court decision and to assure safe and legal abortion nationwide the House has already passed the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA).  It does not guarantee a Constitutional right, but it will keep abortion legal nationwide.  Call or write your Senators and demand immediate action to pass the WHPA in the Senate.  And, if necessary, to break a filibuster to keep abortion legal

 

At the same time urge your Representative and Senators to pass a Resolution that the Equal Rights Amendment has been ratified.  We Need the ERA more than ever for long-term insurance against the whims of politicians.  The ERA would prevent discrimination on the basis of sex once and for all in the U.S. Constitution. And with the attack on Roe, the ERA is needed more than ever.

Urgent Action Step #2:  At the same time we’re pressing Congress to ensure safe and legal abortion even before the Court decision becomes final, we are mobilizing and organizing for mid-term elections to make sure we maintain Democratic control the House and Senate.

If you ever doubted that a vote for Republicans is a vote to endanger women’s lives, the leaked Supreme Court draft majority decision eliminated any doubt.

It’s crystal clear that today’s Republican party is profoundly anti-choice, anti-women and anti-democracy. if we don’t prepare right now to mobilize and fight like hell to help maintain Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate everything we’ve fought for over the past 50 years could be lost—beginning with the right to safe, legal abortion.

TOGETHER WE CAN beat these threats and prevail, but only if we organize like never before in the next 180 days to maintain control of the House and Senate.

 

This means defending all four toss-up Democratic seats and flipping 2 Republican seats for a solid 52-48 majority in the Senate. And holding a net of 4 House seats to maintain the Democrats’ majority.

 

IGNORE THE DOOMSAYERS

Believe me, we can win.  We’ve done it before – against equally immense odds – because when it comes to advancing women’s rights and equality it’s always been an uphill fight.

So, forget the naysaying of the cable pundits and political consultants who seem all too eager to pronounce a Democratic majority in Congress lost in the November midterms. 

Here’s how we win.  And why we will win.

 

Laser-like focus on key swing races to maintain the pro-women, pro-equality control of Congress.

We’re focusing our grassroots organizing and Get-Out-The-Vote teams on 51 college and university campuses that will determine the all-important young people’s vote. Our massive mobilization in 2018 and again in 2020 posted major wins that helped make the difference in gaining control of Congress.

Laser-like focus on the Youth Vote. Make no mistake young women and men—those immediately affected by an abortion ban—will decide key races that are often decided by only a few percentage points, and this is why we’re focused on key districts and states where young people can have a decisive impact on the outcome.

Just look at these recent and very encouraging poll numbers from the Institute of Politics at Harvard:  37% of voters ages 18-29 say they will definitely be voting in the midterms. In 2018 that number was 36% -- a record-breaking level of turnout for a mid-term election.

EVEN BETTER:  A poll just released two days ago indicates that the threat to Roe is likely to increase turnout and pro-choice voting even more—with half of women voters saying that they are more likely to vote in this year’s elections as a result of increased restrictions on abortion. For young women, 18-29, an even higher 56% say they are more likely to vote.

Women and Young Voters give Dems a big lead in the race for Congress. That same Harvard poll found that 40% of young voters (18-29) want Democrats to hold onto control of Congress, while 28% prefer Republicans. The rest are unsure.

 

AND….a raft of prominent polls place the Gender Gap for the mid-terms at a WHOPPING  33%.   Usually, it’s between 8% and 11% so this year it’s really a “Gender Canyon” and the Feminist Majority has a 35-year history of widening and winning with the Gender Gap.

 

To meet the costs of this massive mobilization and organizing effort we need your help.  After you demand action by Congress for the Women’s Health Protection Act and for the ERA, I urge you to be as generous as possible to support our plans.  Your contribution to save women’s lives will be put to work immediately and effectively.

                       

We’re counting on you.

 

Doing Your Part to Win

 

This is not the time to sit back thinking “someone else will take care of it.” The stakes have never been higher. Your involvement and action mean more than ever.

 

May we count on you? 

 

For Victory and Equality,

Ellie Smeal Signature
Eleanor Smeal
President

P.S. The gender gap was large before the Court’s anti-abortion draft decision was leaked. Now, as the news sinks in it’s turned into a huge canyon. Please write your Members of Congress and make your donation today.  

Contributions to Feminist Majority are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes because of our lobbying and electoral work for women's rights. Donations may be used for political purposes. By contributing you confirm that you are a citizen or permanent legal resident of the U.S. and are donating your own funds. Feminist Majority is solely responsible for this communication. Feminist Majority does not engage in any electoral activity or make political expenditures in cooperation or coordination with any candidate or candidate committee. 

 

 

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