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For Immediate Release
March, 24 2010, 02:33pm EDT
Contact:
Planned
Parenthood Action Fund, 202-973-4882
NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC, 202-973-3032
Nation's Two Leading Pro-Choice Groups Back Candidate Challenging Rep. Bart Stupak
Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC Endorse Primary Challenger Connie Saltonstall in Michigan’s 1st Congressional District
WASHINGTON
The
Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the advocacy and political arm of
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and NARAL Pro-Choice America
PAC today announced their respective endorsements of Connie Saltonstall,
who is challenging anti-choice incumbent Rep. Bart Stupak in the
Democratic primary in Michigan's 1st Congressional District.
"The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is proud to endorse Connie
Saltonstall for U.S. representative," said Cecile Richards, president of
the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. "Connie is a passionate advocate
for women and their reproductive rights and has a strong record of
promoting and protecting women's health."
"We are proud to put the support of our PAC behind Connie Saltonstall
in this pivotal primary race," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL
Pro-Choice America. "The voters in Michigan's 1st District are looking
for an alternative to Bart Stupak. For years, he has attacked women's
freedom and privacy and, for the last several months, seized the
national spotlight as he held health care reform hostage to his
anti-choice political views. The clock is ticking on Mr. Stupak's '15
minutes of fame.' We will work to put an end to Mr. Stupak's
divisiveness and replace him with a leader like Connie, who represents
Michigan's mainstream values."
Saltonstall, who is a mediator and board member of North Community
Mediation, serves as board president of Hospice of Northwest Michigan
and recently completed a three-year term on the Charlevoix County
Commission on Aging. In 2008, Saltonstall ran for Michigan state
representative in the 105th District. In 2006, she served as Charlevoix
County commissioner.
As a U.S. representative, Saltonstall will work to improve access to
quality health care for women, support and protect a woman's right to
choose, strengthen comprehensive sex education to keep our young people
healthy and safe, and invest in prevention programs, including family
planning services and breast cancer screenings.
"Clearly it's time for change in Michigan's 1st Congressional
District," said Sarah Scranton, executive director of PP Advocates of
MI. "Michigan voters deserve a representative like Connie Saltonstall
who will put their commonsense health care needs ahead of ideology and
politics."
"Connie Saltonstall is a champion for women, women's health and
choice who will be an active proponent for the women and families of
Michigan. She will work to ensure that women's health is a priority on
the congressional agenda," said Richards.
Saltonstall is running against Rep. Bart Stupak, an anti-choice
representative, who drew the ire of women over his attempts to restrict
individuals from using their own money to buy health insurance that
included abortion coverage. During the health care debate, Rep. Stupak
continuously tried to block health care reform unless the Stupak
abortion coverage ban was adopted. Fortunately, Rep. Stupak failed in
his attempt to insert the Stupak abortion coverage ban in the final
health care reform bill.
The primary election will be held on August 3.
For over 50 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
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The country's largest Muslim civil rights group on Thursday called for added protections for U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar after Florida state Sen. Randy Fine issued an apparent threat against the two Muslim lawmakers.
Fine, who has the endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump in his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives, called himself the "Hebrew Hammer" in a post on X on Tuesday and suggested Reps. Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Omar (D-Minn.) should leave office for their own safety.
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has spoken out previously about anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim statements by Fine (R-19), called the lawmaker an "unhinged anti-Muslim bigot."
His apparent threat of violence "must be investigated by state and federal law enforcement authorities and condemned by both Democratic and Republican Party leadership," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy executive director of CAIR. "President-elect Donald Trump, in particular, should denounce Mr. Fine's remarks and the Florida Republican Party should expel him."
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In contrast with Thanksgiving celebrations across the United States on Thursday, Native Americans held a National Day of Mourning, promoted accurate history, and championed Indigenous voices and struggles.
Despite rainy conditions, the United American Indians of New England held its 55th annual National Day of Mourning at Cole's Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Kisha James, who is an enrolled member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and also Oglala Lakota, shared how her grandfather founded the event in 1970 and pledged to continue to "tear down the Thanksgiving mythology."
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James took aim at fossil fuel pipelines, oil rigs, skyscrapers, corporations, the U.S. military, mass incarceration, and the criminalization of immigrants, and declared that "no one is illegal on stolen on land."
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According toABC 7:
For the second year in a row, the group ran in front of the Ronald McDonald float to briefly stop the parade.
This year, they jumped the barricades at West 55th Street just after 9:30 am.
Many sat on the ground, locking arms and chanting "Free, free Palestine!"
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Video footage shared on social media shows members of the New York Police Department grabbing protesters and their banner, and throwing at least one person face-first into the road.
Multiple Indigenous groups circulated messages about Thanksgiving on social media Thursday.
NDN Collective said that "as Indigenous peoples, we reject colonial holidays rooted in the genocidal erasure of our existence. We demand #LANDBACK to reclaim sovereignty, repair ties with Mother Earth, and protect Indigenous ways of life—honoring them for generations to come."
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On Thursday morning, Israeli tanks hit the southern Lebanese towns of Markaba, Wazzani and Kfarchouba, Khiyam, and Taybe, according to Lebanese state media and security sources, injuring at least two people.
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Thousands of Lebanese people began returning to their homes in the southern part of the country after the cease-fire deal went into effect, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) should not allow civilians back into southern villages. His order contradicted a statement by Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, who led cease-fire negotiations and said Wednesday that residents could return home.
Israel imposed a last-minute curfew on Wednesday night, prohibiting Lebanese citizens from crossing into the south overnight.
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