The first ban on abortion since Roe v. Wade came a step closer to reality this week, when the American Medical Association came out for the so-called "partial birth" abortion ban on the eve of the vote. The AMA went against its own longstanding policy to do this, and you can bet they traded away women's rights for something down the road -- probably a cap on medical malpractice damages or something similar. Meanwhile, rabids in Congress are certain they can pick up the 3 votes needed to override the veto President Clinton has promised. Calls and faxes to Senators at 202-225-3121 (or send e-mail) are urgently needed from the pro-choice majority. No matter what you think about this particular abortion method, be assured that this ban is just the first on the list -- it is no secret that the anti-woman forces mean to go after every abortion procedure, until there are none left legally standing. President Clinton needs support for his decision to veto the bill because it lacks an exception for women's health. (White House: tel 202-456-1111, E-mail [email protected]). Tell your doctor to join a pro-woman medical association, and tell the AMA what you think of their trading women's rights for political gain: Dr. Nancy "aptly named" Dickey, Chairwoman, and Kirk Johnson, General Counsel at fax 312-464-5845.

Female Senators are leading the fight to keep abortion legal, and are expected to be the only bulwark against an override (Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), Fax: 202-224-2047; E-mail, broke ranks at the last minute to vote for the ban). A vote to override the expected veto could come in two weeks. Senators are going to be in their home districts next week, and the right wing has promised to harass them everywhere they go. Give the women who held the line a thumbs up and encouragement for the show-down vote:

		    	   Fax	  	    E-mail

Barbara Boxer (D-CA)       415-956-6701	    E-mail

Susan Collins (R-ME)       202-224-2693     E-mail

Diane Feinstein (D-CA)     202-228-3954	    E-mail

Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)    202-224-8858	    E-mail

Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL) 202-228-1318	    E-mail

Patty Murray (D-WA)        202-224-0238     E-mail

Olympia Snowe (R-ME)       202-224-1946     E-mail    			

The two women who voted for the ban (Kay Hutchison, R-TX Fax: 202-224-0776; E-mail ) (Mary Landrieu D-LA, Fax: 202-224-9735; E-mail ) need to be persuaded to stand with their sisters on the crucial override vote. And tell Daschle (above) to lead the party that claims to be pro-choice by voting NO next time.

FAMILY (UN)FRIENDLY WORKPLACE ACT

In yet another doublespeak to women and families, Sen. John Ashcroft (R-MO) has introduced S.4, the "Family Friendly Workplace Act," otherwise known as the comp-time bill. Ashcroft says he's helping families by allowing workers to choose either overtime pay or compensatory time when they work more than 40 hours a week. What this bill doesn't do is let workers decide when and if they can choose such time instead of overtime pay -- the employer decides. This could mean many women who are already stretched for time and money could be forced to work extra hours with no overtime pay, and take compensatory time off only when it suits the employer's schedule. Under S.4, comp time hours are not counted as hours worked for purposes of benefits such as vacation accrual, health insurance, or retirement, so overall cuts in benefits are a real possibility. A vote could come as early as next week. Tell Ashcroft (202-224-6154; fax 202-228-0998; e-mail [email protected]) and your own Rep. at 202-225-3121 (or send e-mail) to pass meaningful legislation and give control of their time to working women and men instead of bottom-line oriented corporate managers.

The sex scandals at Aberdeen Proving Ground have produced a predictable backlash (against women, who else?) on Capitol Hill. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) wants to ban mixed-sex basic training in the military. Saying he "thinks we are placing [women and men] in temptation" and violating the Lord's Prayer, he plans to introduce the ban as an amendment to the defense authorization bill sometime in the next two weeks. Advocates for equal opportunity for women in the military say that such a ban could inevitably lead to second class status for women in the armed forces. Urge your Rep. NOT to send women to the back of the military bus at 202-225-3121 (or send e-mail) . And while you're writing, pen a note to Florida columnist Otis Pike, who recently wrote on the subject saying "Throughout history, the winners in war got all the sex they wanted. The losers provided it." Pike can be reached at 1180 Reef Road #A26, Vero Beach, Fl 32963.

The Christian Coalition is mounting an assault on seven senators in hopes of pulling together a veto-proof majority for the abortion ban vote expected next week. On the hit list are first-termers Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Susan Collins (R-ME). Landrieu is from a heavily Catholic state, and already under attack from the boys on the hill because her sore-loser opponent has cooked up election-fraud charges. These women and the five men on the target list need to hear from the pro-choice majority. The Christian Coalition plans "as big an expenditure as we're going to spend on any issue this year." Fax or e-mail your support to these senators today:

		    	Fax	  	  E-mail

Max Cleland (D-GA)     202-224-0072	 E-mail

Mary Landrieu (D-LA)   202-224-9735 	 E-mail

Ernest Hollings (D-SC) 202-224-4293	 E-mail

Tom Harkin (D-IA)      202-224-9369	 E-mail

Herbert Kohl (D-WI)    202-224-9787	 E-mail

Russ Feingold (D-WI)   202-224-2725      E-mail

Susan Collins (R-ME)   202-224-2693      E-mail    			

Would you support a company that created cushy jobs for harassers to "get them out of [town] as quickly as possible," and ignored the complaints of many women over many years? Well, your tax dollars are doing just that. The Veteran's Administration has allowed seven of nine executives accused of sexually harassing their employees in the last four years to retire; the eighth was given a $25,000 buyout. The ninth, Jerome Calhoun, was given a newly created $106,000 a year job near the place he plans to retire, and moved at government expense. This in the face of what VA Secretary Jesse Brown claims is a "zero tolerance" sexual harassment policy. (Sounds like what they don't tolerate are complaints from women). Brown has made outrageous statements to Congress, including claiming that harassers "will never recover personally or professionally" if dismissed or demoted. The House Veteran's Affairs (ahem) oversight committee has ordered the VA to re-open the investigation of Calhoun. Encourage the committee to stick to its guns at 202-225-3527; Fax 202-225-5486.

There seems to be no limit to the inventiveness of insurance consultants, increasingly calling the shots on health care instead of doctors. Insurance companies have shown a willingness to deny coverage for breast cancer treatment by claiming genetic factors for the disease are a "pre-existing condition." Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) have introduced legislation to outlaw this practice. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance Act would prevent insurance abuse based on genetic information, forbid insurers from requiring genetic tests, and require written consent for insurers to share genetic information with third parties. Original co-sponsors for the bill are needed in both houses (S.89, HR.306). Your member can be reached at 202-224-3121 (or send e-mail). (Eventually Congress will stop bickering over the budget and start voting -- bills with the strongest backing will pass first).

The National Breast Cancer Coalition has called a day of activism on May 6 to push Congress for more research money for treatment and cure of breast cancer. They will rally on the U.S. Capitol steps to deliver 2.6 million signatures -- one for every woman living with breast cancer today -- asking for $2.6 billion in research funds. Call your member of Congress at 202-224-3121 (or send e-mail) on May 6 to support the rally and more research money for breast cancer. NBCC is planning events around the country, and the campaign continues throughout the year. To learn about events in your area and to get involved call Pam Goddard at 202-973-0590.