What would President Obama do for women?

Candidate Barack Obama promises change for America. Will he also deliver the changes thatwomen need? 

Many women have voted for Clinton thinking that she will represent their interests.  But she may not be the only one.  In fact, both candidates often support many of the same pieces of legislation and have similar positions on issues of importance to women—pay equity, the EITC, retirement savings.

So how exactly would President Obama serve his female constituency? His campaign literatureand record show that he also gives not-scant attention to women’s issues.

While not necessarily exhaustive, the following list shows Obama’s past legislative efforts for women and showcases many of his campaign promises that will affect women.

EDUCATION

Keeping it equal

Obama says he will make sure Title IX does what it’s supposed to—assure girls equal opportunity in all aspects of education—beyond just sports equity.

Teaching them Young

Obama wants to beef up Head Start and involve parents in the program, to even out kids’ achievement levels.  He also say she supports preschool for all, without promising to enact it.

Doing the Math

Obama introduced three proposals in the Senate to increase women’s and minorities’participation in science, technology, math and engineering with mentoring programs and state grants for summer ed. 

Rewarding Teachers

One aspect of his plan to improve schools, is to reward teachers—over 70% of whom are women—with pay increases for performing well or taking on more responsibilities.

FINANCIAL AID

Helping the working poor

Three fifths of women earn less than $30,000 year according to Wiser Women. Obama says he will give 150 million workers a "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per family, eliminating income taxes for 10 million Americans.

Boost the Self employed

Many self-employed women are in the lower income brackets, so his promised “Making Work Pay” credit will help business owners who must pay both the employee and employer portion of the payroll tax as well as the lower-earning self employed.

Tax relief for single moms andmarried moms

Obama wants EITC benefits available tomore parents and to reduce the EITC marriage penalty. He plans to give full-timeworkers making minimum wage a benefit up to $555—three times greater than today’s $175.

TheEITC for All

Obama introduced legislation lowering the income limit for the Child Tax Credit, which gives parents $1,000 credit per child.  Obama has also introduced legislation to give immediate tax relief to low-income working families from Hurricane Katrina disaster areas by enhancing the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit.

HELP SINGLE MOTHERS  

For women who raise their children using child support, Obama plans to give them an EITC benefit of $1,110.

Promoting Pensions

To help older women who are more likely to be poor and less likely to have a retirement savings plan, Obama proposes a retirement security plan that enrolls workers in a direct deposit IRA workplace plan. He also co-sponsored the Save More for Retirement Act,

Readying for Retirement

Women over 65 with income from a pension or an annuity received less than $6,420 in 2005, compared with $12,000 for men, according to the AFL-CIO. To strengthen retirement investments, Obama will expand the existing Savers Credit to match 50 percent of the first $1,000 of savings for families that earn under $75,000, and make the credit refundable—and automatically deposited.

Secure Social Security

Women rely on social security more than men: nearly 60 percent of receiving benefits are women. Obama promises to work across party lines to preserve social security.

FAMILIES

Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together.

Make fathers help mothers

Aiming to help families, Obama re-introduced the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove government penalties on married families and fund support services for fathers and their families.

Improving Child Support Collection

Less than half of parents collecting child support receive the full payments they are due and more than $11 billion goes unpaid every year. Obama introduced legislation to increase enforcement by an additional $4.9 billion over 10 years, to collect nearly $20 billion. The bill ensures states pass all collected child support payments to families.

Support New Mothers

Obama would expand programs like the successful Nurse-Family Partnership (which improves many outcomes) to all low-income, first-time mothers which might help approximately 570,000 first-time mothers each year.

HEALTH

His Record

In the past, Obama created a task force on cervical cancer, helped expand access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and worked improve prenatal and premature birth services.

HIV-women

The rates of women with HIV has quadrupled in 20 years and AIDS has become the leading cause of death for younger African American women.  Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, to speed up the development of these preventives.

OvarianCancer

Common and deadly, ovarian cancer ishard to catch early; Obama co-sponsored the now-enacted Johanna’s law to provide education about the disease.

PreventingPregancy

Obama co-sponsored the Prevention First Act, which will increase funding for contraception as well as sex ed and family planning.  He also worked on the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, fo rthe discounting of contraceptives to clinics serving lower income women.

Protect Roe v. Wade

As president, he affirms he will preserve women’s right to abortion.

Safer fish for childbearing women

Mercury exposure in utero puts children at risk for developmental disorders.  Instead of forbidding women fish, Obama has gone after the cause by introducing legislation to decrease emissions from utliities.

MORTGAGED FUTURES

Control the mortgage Industry

More women than men (32 to 25%) signed up for sub-prime mortages. Obama proposes to create a fund to help people refinance mortgages, sell their homes and promises to introduce laws forcing the industry to inform customers.  He also introduced legislation to increase enforcement and prosecution of fraudulent loans, aswell as credit counselling.

Mortgagecredits for all

Obama wants to make mortgage write-offs available to those lower-earning tax payers who don’t itemize their tax, which should save $500 in taxes.

ReformBankruptcy Law

As president, Obama wants to allow bankruptees to modify their mortgage payments, which is currently not allowed.

Vets

Including Women Vets

If elected president, he will ensure the VA give the 1.7 million female vets the care they need. Previously, Obama has worked on legislation to: track new vets includingwomen; treating women affected by sexual trauma, and create a women’s mentalhealth program.

Violence

Fighting Violence

Domestic violence may occur to 25% of all women, rape affects more than 100,000.  Obama introduced legislation providing $25 million for services to victims, training and prevention.

Punishing Violence

Obama co-sponsored and helped reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act which directs money at prevention, police and education programs.

Violence Abroad

In 2005, Obama introduced an act about the Congo which identified systemic sexual violence as well as working on the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, which also addressed gender-based violence.

WORK

Spreadwealth to Women-Owned Small Businesses: 

To help women who want to do business with the Federal government, Obama will strengthen the Women Owned Business contracting program that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, but never implemented.

Redesign the 9-5

Obama promises to allow flex work for federal workers. He says he’ll inform the private sector about flex work--without saying specifically how-- and increase federal incentives for telecommuting

Really Equal Pay

Obama wants to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. Obama willalso pass the Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equalwork.

Give women sickdays  

Three-out-of-fourlow-wage workers have no paid sick days. Obama supports guaranteeing workers seven paid sick days per year.

Maximizingthe minimum wage

Women make up 60% of low wage earners arewomen, and Obama proposes to raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation.

RaisingLow incomes

Since women are often stuck in low wage jobs, many could benefit from  transitionaljob programs. Obama has proposed legislation for $50 million to develop transitional employment programs to get low income workers into better jobs.  He also says he will support funding for apprenticeship and training programs.