Lift Every Voice
RCRC's Campaign for Voter Empowerment
The 2008 national
campaign season
is in full swing.
One presidency,
435 seats in the
U.S. House of
Representatives
and 34 U.S. Senate
seats are at stake – as well as state
and local offices up
for election in your
area.
The ability of people to make reproductive
health decisions in keeping with their religious
beliefs and conscience is at risk. Decisions
affecting the lives of women and families are made
at all levels of government.
As religious people, we have a responsibility
and commitment to ensure that the dignity of women and their choices regarding childbearing
are respected. We seek public officials who will
enact policies that respect each person’s religious
beliefs and each person’s decisions about whether
and when to have children. Planning one’s family
is a fundamental right and responsibility. It is a
key factor in determining the physical, social and
economic health and well-being of individuals, their
families and their communities. We are compelled
by our religious beliefs and our consciences to
ensure that everyone, no matter their race, creed
or economic status, has access to comprehensive
reproductive health services and sex education.
We know that opponents of reproductive justice
are skilled at making their concerns a priority
election issue. We must show that there’s a strong
constituency for reproductive justice and religious
freedom by asking these questions – at forums,
debates, town hall meetings, fundraisers and by calling their offices.
Ask the Questions
Ask candidates these questions and be clear that
you are pro-choice as a matter of conscience and
will vote accordingly.
Will you vote to
expand access to
family planning services
for low-income women
through the Title X
national family
planning program
and Medicaid?
The low income
and uninsured
need affordable
family planning
services. A
woman with
low income
is 4 times as
likely to have
an unintended
pregnancy,
5 times as likely to have an unintended
birth and 4 times more likely to have an
abortion than a woman with higher income.
Unintended pregnancy can perpetuate poverty,
interrupt education and job opportunities, and
create family hardship. My faith underlies
my commitment to equality and justice and
inspires me to fight for accessible healthcare
and intentional parenthood.
Will you vote to
fund comprehensive,
medically accurate
sex education instead
of abstinence-only
programs?
The federal
government
has spent over
$1 billion on
ineffective
abstinence-only
education
programs that do not reduce teen sexual
activity. There is no stream of funding
dedicated to comprehensive sex education
which can reduce the risk of unintended
pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.
85% of Americans support comprehensive
sex education including a significant majority
of people of all faiths.
Will you vote to require all
hospitals receiving
federal funding to
offer emergency contraception [EC] to
victims of rape?
Up to 32,000
women become
pregnant
each year as a
result of rape or
incest. Timely
access to
emergency
contraception
could prevent the additional trauma of an
unintended pregnancy. Yet, many hospitals refuse to provide or refer for EC thereby
imposing one religious perspective and
denying access to legal medical care. As a
person of faith, I want to keep medical care
free from sectarian doctrine and protect
the inviolability of conscience in making
personal health care decisions.
Will you vote to
ensure patient access to emergency
contraception [EC]
without delay?
Emergency
contraception
can prevent
unintended
pregnancies when
taken within 72
hours of sex. There are increasing numbers
of pharmacist refusals to provide birth control
including EC. These refusals are based on
personal beliefs, not on legitimate medical or
professional concerns. They interfere with
equal access to health care products and
services and undermine the inherent dignity
of an individual’s health care decision.
Will you vote to
increase international
funding for family
planning and
reproductive health services and to
fight HIV/AIDS?
Meeting the need
for contraceptive
services in
developing
countries would
prevent 52 million
unintended
pregnancies
annually and the
deaths in childbirth of 1.5 million women. In
2006, there were over 4 million new cases
of AIDS globally. Only 24% of people who
needed HIV treatment throughout the world
had access to it. As a person of faith and
a citizen of the world, I am committed to
righting this injustice.
Do you support the
constitutional right
to privacy which
protects access
to contraceptive
services?
Over 40 years ago,
the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled in its
landmark decision
in Griswold v.
Connecticut
that there is an
individual right to privacy in deciding whether
and when to have a child. Major religions
also oppose government interference in such
private matters.
For U.S. Senate Candidates only:
Will you oppose any
court or administration
nominee who does not
support the right to
privacy including the
right to abortion?
The vast
majority of
Americans want
to protect the
constitutional
right to decide
if and when to
have children.
This is an issue of religious liberty and
individual freedom.
Candidate Profiles
Find out more about views on sex education and abortion
RCRC has compiled the frontrunning presidential candidates' positions on the issues of sex education and abortion. We will be continually updating these profiles, so check back often for the latest information.
You can help secure reproductive rights
and justice through these simple actions.
Download
Our Ask the Candidates Voter Guide is available in print and for download. Please contact us at info@rcrc.org if you'd like printed copies for distribution in your community or congregation.
Take Action
Through our website you can instantly
send letters to your congressional representatives
on reproductive health and justice issues of timely
importance.
Register to Vote
Our Action Center makes it easy.
Get Connected
Join our policy network and sign up for RCRC
emailed legislative updates and National Report.
Make a Gift
Make a contribution through our secure online site
to support education and advocacy
on reproductive justice.
