PathWays PA Policy Blog

Metastatic breast cancer (also known as Stage IV breast cancer) occurs when cancer spreads beyond the breast into other parts of the body, including the bones, liver, and brain. 116 people die each day from metastatic breast cancer in the United States - but, with access to treatment, metastatic patients can go into remission, live longer, and/or have better quality of life. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act would waive a 2 year waiting period for metastatic patients to be eligible for Medicare. It would also waive a 5 month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for those who qualify. Access to healthcare and benefits is key for all those diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. The National Breast Cancer Coalition reports that the Act has been introduced in the House and Senate . Please contact your legislators at 202-224-3121 and ask them to sign on!

Our friends at the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence report that Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas has just introduced a new bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This bill, among other changes: • Increases authorization for the Rape Prevention and Education Program to $150 million to address skyrocketing need and demand for community prevention programs. • Strengthens public housing protections for survivors including those seeking housing transfers based on safety concerns. • Acknowledges the trauma of incarceration on women and their family members, especially their children, and improves health care services and trauma informed responses to better prepare incarcerated women to return to their communities. • Improves enforcement of current federal domestic violence-related firearms laws and closes loopholes to reduce firearm-involved abuse and intimate partner homicide. • Expands VAWA's ability to respond to sexual harassment. Ta...

From our friends at the National Partnership for Women & Families: Nearly every member of Congress uses Twitter (and most candidates do too). That is why the National Partnership for Women & Families has created this new tool and website – www.WEtweet.org – which offers an easy way to find and tweet at elected officials and those running for office. Visit www.WEtweet.org , pick the issue that matters most to you, enter your zip code, and then send tweets directed at your members of Congress and candidates.  Please join on us on Wednesday, October 22nd, on what we’re calling “WEtweet Wednesday,” in an exciting day of action! Together we can send a clear message to those who seek to represent us: Women matter. Women’s equality matters. #WEmatter. Check out the site and see how easy it is to tweet your support for fair pay, paid family and medical leave, paid sick days and other issues that matter to women and families. We hope you will share this exciting new to...

From our friends at the National Skills Coalition Last week marked a landmark moment for the workforce field with the U.S Senate passing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 after 11 years. Please consider taking a moment to thank your Senators for taking an important step to modernize our nation's workforce system and ensure that all U.S. workers and businesses have access to the skills they need to succeed in today's economy. Once you've thanked your Senators, please contact your Representative and ask for quick action to bring the legislation up for a vote when the House reconvenes after the Fourth of July recess.

From our friends at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Yesterday, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Summer Meals Act, S. 2527 . It is a bipartisan bill that will enhance efforts to expand the reach of the Summer Food Program to low-income children and significantly simplify the administration of the program for sponsors.  Please contact your Senators and ask them to cosponsor Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski's (R-AK) Summer Meals Act (S.2527). This legislation would expand access to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for low-income children and simplify administration of the program for SFSP sponsors.

From our friends at the National Skills Coalition (NSC) This week, the Senate has passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) , which reauthorizes the the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), passed with overwhelmingly bipartisan support. WIA is more than 11 years overdue for reauthorization. Organizations who support workforce training programs applaud the Senate for taking an important step to modernize our nation’s workforce system and ensure that all U.S. workers and businesses have access to the skills they need to succeed in today’s economy. WIOA could come up for a vote when the House returns from the Fourth of July recess.

From our friends at the National Partnership for Women and Families  Join the growing list of partners planning to call on the president and Congress to support the Family And Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act)! You'll find templates for many of the suggested activities listed below! You could: Ask your affiliates/partners/chapters/members/leaders to call or email their members of Congress Join a FAMILY Act tweet storm on Thursday, June 19th, from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. EDT (For more information, contact Sadie Kliner at skliner@nationalpartnership.org .) Share infographics on your social media sites and ask followers to contact their legislators Support USAction's postcard deliveries here in D.C. and in key districts via social media or on the ground (For more information, contact Christine Sloane at csloane@nationalpartnership.org or Patty Snee at psnee@usaction.org .) Join the National Partnership on the Hill on Wednesday, June 18th, and Friday, June 20th, or h...

From our friends at the National Women's Law Center Women in the military and women in military families serve and sacrifice for our country every day. It only makes sense that we should give them the support they deserve in return, especially when it comes to important health benefits. Unlike most women with private insurance plans - which must cover breastfeeding supplies and counseling - military women and military families lack comprehensive insurance coverage of the same supplies and support under the Department of Defense's TRICARE health care program. In fact, TRICARE only covers a breast pump in extreme circumstances for most women. But a bill currently before Congress would make sure all military women and military families have better coverage of breastfeeding supplies and education.  Breastfeeding benefits both mothers and children, reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women and asthma, obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and leukemia in children. Women w...

From our friends at Women in Transition "Chisholm '72: Unbought and Unbossed" a film by Shola Lynch, will be screened on May 15 beginning at 6:15pm at the Friends Center, 1501 Cherry Street in Philadelphia . This compelling documentary takes an in-depth look at the 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and the first to seek nomination for the highest office in the land.  The film will be followed by a speaker, Dr. Niambi M. Carter, associate professor of African-American Studies at Temple University. Dr. Carter, who focuses on american politics with a specific focus on race, will speak briefly prior to the screening and initiate a discussion afterwards about the historical significance of Ms. Chisholm's run. Click here for more information and ticket availability.  Women in Transition (WIT) is a proud member of the PathWays PA family.

From our friends at MomsRising Raising the minimum wage helps women and it helps families. Women account for 55% of all workers who would benefit from increasing the minimum wage to $10.10. In addition, 28% of minimum wage workers have children. And what about that wage gap? Women already are at a disadvantage, earning less on average than men. The gap only increases for women of color and low-wage workers. Working moms now make up about 40% of primary breadwinners for American families with children, but are bringing home 23% less than their male counterparts. Less pay means less ability for moms to provide the basics for their children like food, medicine, and housing, as well as longer term needs like college tuition. If you want to close the wage gap and pull families out of poverty, Congress needs to raise the minimum wage, because working year round, full-time at the current federal minimum wage adds up to less than $15,000 per year. Make your voice echo through the hal...

From our friends at the Coalition Human Needs More than 2 million unemployed Americans have lost their jobless benefits to date. At 2:00PM, a Twitter Storm will take place to bring attention to the issue. If you support extending unemployment insurance, you can take action now. Ask your congressional delegation members and House Speaker John Boehner to renew Unemployment Insurance. Here are some sample tweets. Please use #RenewUI (@your congressperson) Ask @SpeakerBoehner to schedule a UI floor vote ASAP with no harmful amendments; then please vote for it. #RenewUI  (@your congressperson) It is time to #RenewUI and help the thousands of unemployed workers in #PA - Ask@SpeakerBoehner to bring UI to the floor   (@your congressperson) It is time to #RenewUI and help the thousands of unemployed workers in #PA - Ask@SpeakerBoehner to bring UI to the floor  If you can't participate in the twitter storm, there are other ways to help .

From our friends at MomsRising The Strong Start for America's Children Act would increase access to affordable, high-quality preschool and early learning and child care programs for children under age 5 through state and federal partnerships. Your help is needed to ask Senators co-sponsor the Strong Start for America's Children Act to make early childhood education a priority. It's time for the Strong Start for America's Children Act. Senators need to hear from voters like you today . PathWays PA partners with MomsRising and other organizations to educate elected officials on the need for early childhood investment.

From our friends at MomsRising Today is Equal Pay Day, the day we mark as the point when women's earnings (beginning on January 1, 2013) catch up with men's earnings for 2013. Today is also the day that the Senate will once again take up the Paycheck Fairness Act. Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act is an important step in the campaign to close the wage gap. The Paycheck Fairness Act would, among other things, prohibit employers from retaliating against workers who discuss salaries with colleagues. It would also require employers to prove that any pay differences exist for legitimate, job-related reasons. As an organization that works with women and families, PathWays PA knows the value of equal work for equal pay. The money that families lose to the pay gap each year could cover 89 weeks worth of food or 3,000 gallons of gasoline per family. Now is the time to make sure Senators are listening and to tell them if you support the Paycheck Fairness Act!

From our friends at the Coalition on Human Needs As of April 5, more than 2 million unemployed workers have lost jobless benefits. The Senate will vote tonight on final passage of the bill to restore unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. Please don't leave anything to chance: Speak to your Senators about how you want them to vote. And tell the House to take a vote. Ask Congress to vote to restore Emergency Unemployment Compensation . Contact your Representative and ask him/her to urge Speaker John Boehner to bring up the Senate bill to restore Unemployment Compensation for a House vote ASAP.

From our friends at the National Network for Youth The House and Senate are setting funding levels for federal spending levels for FY 2015 and your help is needed! The House has a bipartisan Dear Colleague Letter circulating that is asking members of the U.S. House of Representatives to sign a letter to the House Appropriations Committee. The letter asks the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies allocate sufficient funding to support to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program. You can reach your Members' offices using the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask that your Representative sign on to the Dear Colleague that is asking for sufficient funding for the Run way and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) and the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. Here is a fact sheet you can view before calling.

From our Friends at the National Skills Coalition Congress is making decisions on federal spending levels for fiscal year (FY) 2015. Ask your Representative to restore funding for key workforce, education and training programs to provide workers the skills they need for the good-paying jobs employers need to fill. Under current law, spending caps and cuts will reduce the federal deficit by $3.3 trillion over the next ten years. But these cuts are creating new deficits in core government functions such as education, research, infrastructure and job training. With more than 10 million U.S. workers unemployed, now is not the time to reduce federal workforce development investments. Ask Congress to restore funding for employment, adult basic education, and occupational training programs so that workers and employers have the skills they need to compete.

From our friends at the Coalition on Human Needs Beginning at 3:00PM, Senator Tom Harkin, Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the lead Senate sponsor of legislation to raise the minimum wage will speak with others on their plans for the Fair Minimum Wage Act. A large coalition of groups is coming together to make 2014 a year of action to raise the minimum wage. The webinar will focus on the latest facts about how the minimum wage increase will help workers, families, and the economy, how to dispel myths spread by opponents, and how to join in actions from local events to social media campaigns. You can ask questions and will get resource materials you'll need. Additional speakers include: Christine Owens : Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project, Chris is a national spokesperson and expert on worker rights, including the minimum wage and unemployment insurance Moderator-Ellen Teller : Director of Government Rel...

Today, American women are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men, nine out of ten American workers don't have paid family leave and nearly 40 million don't have a single paid sick day. Plus - there is a critical need for affordable, quality child care in this country. We can change that. Tomorrow, PathWays PA, our allies, and champions in Congress invite you to join an unprecedented national conversation - moderated by actor Cynthia Nixon - about these issues and the changes that will advance income equality and economic security for women and families in America. Can you make it? Here are the details: WHAT : Let's Talk About It: Advancing women and families in 2014 A National Tele-Townhall Event on fair pay, paid leave, and access to child care WHEN : Wednesday, January 29, 2014 Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act 8:30 p.m. ET  WHERE : From the comfort of your phone No numbers to dial, we'll call you to connect to the event  ...

From our friends at The Coalition on Human Needs A webinar will take place on Thursday, December 19 beginning at 4PM EST to discuss the federal budget deal. Congress is expected to finish work on a bipartisan budget agreement next week. The bill as passed by the House will make it possible to start to reverse cuts to Head Start, senior meals, housing and many other needed services. But it asks federal workers to pay much of the cost, while not saving one dime from closing corporate tax loopholes. And it leaves out the renewal of federal unemployment insurance. That failure means that on December 28, 1.3 million long-term unemployed people will immediately lose UI. If the expiration remains in place throughout 2014, more than 4 million people will lose access to UI. Presenters Include: Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN): Co-Chair of the76-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Ellison has been a staunch supporter of investing in meeting human needs and is a leader in fighti...

From our Friends at NELP  More than 1.3 million Americans will be totally cut off of their federal unemployment benefits three days after Christmas, and nearly 2 million more will not have access to those benefits by mid-2014 once their state unemployment benefits end, unless Congress renews the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program before it expires on December 28.  The House of Representatives is scheduled to adjourn and go home for their holiday recess this Friday, December 13, leaving only a few days this week to renew federal EUC benefits for millions of unemployed jobseekers. Call toll-free 1-888-245-0215 and ask Congress to renew unemployment insurance for millions of unemployed this holiday season.