Amy Coney Barrett's Appointment Is A Wake-Up Call For Female Voters: Cecile Richards [View all]

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It’s not only Roe v Wade on the line. Parental leave, affordable childcare, equal pay, the Affordable Care Act - all are under threat. The Guardian, Oct. 27, 2020.

The pandemic and its collateral economic crisis have illustrated like never before that women are the backbone of America. Before Covid-19, women made up more than half the workforce, nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers, and the majority of caregivers. One in three jobs held by women has been designated as essential. Right now, millions of women are pulling off an impossible balancing act: working while trying to keep their families safe and healthy during a terrifying time.

Others have lost jobs, have had their wages or hours cut, and more than 800,000 women have left the workforce.

This crisis is disproportionately burdening women, especially women of color. They need immediate relief, but instead of solving this crisis, Donald Trump and Senate Republicans have focused on one thing: pushing through a supreme court nominee who wants to take away healthcare for millions and strip away rights women have had for decades. And they’re doing it against the will of the majority of Americans, who believe that voters should decide who makes the next appointment to the court.



- 'People of Praise' Amy Coney Barrett.

When Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his pick, Republicans rushed to portray her as a worthy successor to justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a lifelong champion of women’s rights and democracy. They pointed to Barrett’s “woman” credentials: namely, that she’s a mother of seven. Women across the country, however, know what’s at stake. On the campaign trail, then-candidate Trump promised to appoint justices who would overturn Roe v Wade.

Throughout her confirmation hearings, Barrett refused to say whether she would uphold access to safe abortion, birth control, or fertility treatment. When it comes to the future of reproductive rights, her silence speaks volumes.

It’s not only Roe v Wade that’s on the line under a Barrett court. Paid leave, affordable childcare, equal pay, voting rights, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ equality are in jeopardy. And with arguments on the Affordable Care Act slated for 10 November, Barrett may have the chance to repeal critical health care protections in the middle of a pandemic. At a time when we’ve just passed the grim threshold of 8 million Americans infected with Covid-19 and more than 225,000 dead, making it harder to get healthcare is the last thing we should be doing...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2020/oct/27/amy-coney-barretts-appointment-is-a-wake-up-call-for-female-voters