Next Tuesday, May 25, members of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) and its 500 member organizations will rally on Capitol Hill to ask Congress to do something meaningful in the fight against breast cancer. NBCC will put legislators on notice that wearing a pink ribbon and introducing resolutions won't get it anymore. With six legislative priorities, they will demand that lawmakers sign on to specific bills and push for passage this season. One such bill is the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act (S.662/HR 1070). It would give states the option of providing Medicaid coverage for breast cancer treatment for those low income women who are diagnosed with the disease through the Center for Disease Control. Call Capitol Hill on Tuesday (202-224-3121) to support the rally by urging your Rep. to sign on to this important bill - or one of the five other NBCC priority measures (get them at 220-296-7477) or www.natlbcc.org.

Despite the best efforts of advocates (WFF 4/9), the Equal Rights Amendment will not reach the floor of the Missouri House this session. The vote to send the Federal ERA to the floor for ratification failed by only 9 votes. It will be re-introduced December 1st. House Speaker Steve Gaw wants to hear from advocates around the country about the national need for the ERA. Call him at 571-751-2700 or e-mail his office: [email protected]

PUSH THE POPE FROM THE U.N.

Hundreds of organizations internationally, including Catholics for a Free Choice, have initiated a campaign to change the status of the Roman Catholic Church in the United Nations. Currently the church calls itself the Holy See, and enjoys status as a Non-Member State Permanent Observer influencing U.N. policy on family planning and AIDS education. The Holy See uses its voice to limit access to safe abortion and emergency contraception -- even for women who have been raped as an act of war. The campaign is calling on the U.N. Secretary General to treat the Roman Catholic Church like any other religion and limit its participation to that of a non-government (non-policy making) organization. You or your organization can endorse the campaign, and/or distribute "See Change" postcards in several languages. For postcards or to sign on, contact Liz Bucar at CFC: 202-986-6093; fax 202-332-7995, or sign a quick postcard by e-mail at [email protected]

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) held hearings this week on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S.622). The HCPA would raise criminal penalties for crimes based on hatred of a person because of sex and sexual orientation in addition to race, color, religion, or national origin. The companion House Bill is HR 1082. Though there is a patchwork of state hate crime statutes, advocates say a federal law would allow the Justice Department to go after hate crimes in more than one state, and allow federal authorities to investigate crimes not solved by states. President Clinton has strongly advocated for this bill but it needs more Senate co-sponsors (so far it has 30 Democrats and only 4 Republicans). Check to see if your Senator is on record against hate at Thomas.loc.gov, and urge co-sponsorship at 202-225-3121.

Thanks to WFF readers and other activists, the Bankruptcy Reform Act was derailed last year (WFF 4/24/98). But the House passed it again this week in the dead of night. (H.R. 833). The bill, pushed hard by credit card companies, would put credit card charges on the same footing as child support and bankruptcy proceedings. This means mothers would be in competition with the likes of Visa and Amex to collect from ex-husbands declaring insolvency (and we know who has the most clout in that match-up). This bill (S.265, Grassley (R-IA) and Torricelli (D-NJ) could come up in the Senate as early as next week. Tell your Senator this is the mother of all Mother's Day insults (202-225-3121 or send E-mail). President Clinton has threatened a veto - strengthen his resolve at 202-456-1111; fax 202-456-2461.

And we don't mean Clinton-hater Bob Barr (R-GA), or ex-Congressman-wild-man-woman-hater Bob Dornan (R-Outer Space). "BOB" is short for Building Opportunities Bonus, a bill that encourages states to develop programs to help welfare recipients move up and out of poverty. Introduced as a free-standing bill in the House in March (H.R. 699) by Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), BOB rewards states for creating child care, non-traditional (read: higher paying) job training, and domestic violence programs. The NOW Legal Defense and Educaion Fund, lead organization backing the bill, expects BOB to be introduced in the Senate next week. Urge your Senators to join Patty Murray (D-WA) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN) as original co-sponsors of the Battered Women's Economic Security and Safety Act, which contains BOB as a provision. Reach any Senator at 202-225-3121 (or send E-mail); for more info on what grassroots groups can do, contact NOW LDEF at 202-544-4470.