NOW Endorses Scott Peters for Congress

“Peters is Steadfast in His Support of Women's Rights, Equality, Protecting Social Security"

San Diego – The National Organization for Women (NOW) Political Action Committee has endorsed Scott Peters for Congress, the campaign announced today. Peters is running to unseat 12-year incumbent Brian Bilbray in the newly drawn 52nd Congressional District.

NOW advocates on a wide range of issues including equal pay, equal rights and access to health care for women. The organization is also actively engaged in opposing efforts to privatize Social Security by putting these funds at risk in the stock market, something Bilbray has supported throughout his career.

NOW is backing Peters because he has a strong record on all of these issues while Bilbray’s record is dismal.

“Particularly this year, when women’s rights have come under attack by extremists like Rush Limbaugh, Todd Akin and Brian Bilbray, we need another voice for women’s rights in Congress,” said Gloria Johnson, President of the San Diego County Chapter of NOW.
 
“Scott Peters is steadfast in his support for equal pay and equal hiring for women and protecting Social Security, Brian Bilbray is not. I urge everyone who cares about women’s rights, equality and economic opportunity to get behind Scott Peters for Congress,” she said.

Founded in 1966, NOW is the largest, most comprehensive advocacy group for for women in the United States, with 500,000 members and hundreds of chapters. Peters is also endorsed by Planned Parenthood, with a 100% rating for his unwavering support for access to reproductive health care.

In glaring contrast, Brian Bilbray has a 9% rating from Planned Parenthood for his votes to limit access to women’s preventive healthcare, contraception and reproductive health services.
In 2011, Bilbray voted to strip funding for Planned Parenthood, a safety net provider of reproductive and preventive healthcare for millions of women. He also supported extremists’ efforts to shut down the federal government over opposition to the program. This year, Bilbray voted to eliminate funding for clinics that provide reproductive and preventive health services to low-income women, including breast and cervical cancer screenings. And, he voted to undermine key principles of the Violence Against Women Act, an 18-year-old law that increased the ability of law enforcement agencies to protect victims of stalking, domestic violence and sexual assault.  He is also a proponent of risking Social Security our seniors have earned in a volatile stock market.
For more information, go to www.scottpeters.com.

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BACKGROUND:
Bilbray Supported Privatizing Social Security. In April 2006, Bilbray said he “supports Social Security reforms that include investments in the markets.” He continued, “I do believe that any Social Security Reform will have to include methods of investment and personal ownership.” [North County Times, 4/1/06]

 Bilbray Said He was Open to Private Accounts for Social Security. In 2000, Bilbray said he was open to the idea of private accounts in Social Security: “I support looking seriously into the option of allowing workers to save a portion of their payroll taxes in a personal retirement account. This should not be a replacement for the current Social Security program, but a supplement where the current program acts as a safety net. We are approaching a time when the baby boomers will be reaching retirement age and the SS Trust Fund is endangered of becoming insolvent. This option and others need to be explored thoroughly and soon.” [SocialSecurity.org, accessed 2/17/12]

Bilbray Voted Against Protecting Social Security and Medicare Benefits from Privatization. In March 2011, Bilbray voted against a measure that would have prohibited continuing appropriations funds for fiscal year 2011 for being used in developing or implementing a system that cuts Social Security benefits or that privatizes Social Security. The amendment also prohibited funds from being used to develop or implement a system that cuts Medicare benefits, eliminates guaranteed health coverage for seniors or establishes a Medicare voucher plan that limits payments to beneficiaries in order to purchase health care in the private sector. The motion failed, 190-239. [HJR 48, Vote #178, 2/15/11]