Richmond, VA - Today, Tim Kaine released a radio ad featuring audio of his comments at the recent Fairfax Chamber of Commerce/NBC 4 debate where Kaine gave a strong defense of women's rights on issues ranging from equal pay, to the freedom to make their own health care choices, to important protections like the Family and Medical Leave Act.
“Economic Issues,” a sixty-second ad, highlights a critical exchange from the debate where George Allen refused to address issues like access to health care and equitable contraception coverage, saying that the best answer to these 'social' issues was a 'job.' Kaine responded by noting those concerns are larger than “social issues,” they are family issues and economic issues.
“It’s demeaning to suggest that issues about women are just social issues and not economic issues," Kaine said at the debate. "If you force women to have an ultrasound procedure against their will and pay for it, that’s an economic issue. If you deny women the opportunity because of personhood legislation to make constitutional choices, even including whether to purchase contraception, that’s an economic issue."
“Women are more than half of this economy. And we have to make the right polices about women if we’re going to have the kind of economy that we want,” Kaine continued.
CLICK TO HEAR “ECONOMIC ISSUES”
In addition, Kaine contrasted his record of supporting women's rights to make their own health care choices in consultation with their doctors and families with Allen's record of voting to limit those rights: "When George Allen was in Congress, he repeatedly voted against Family Medical Leave Act. He’s supported the Blunt Amendment to enable employers to take away contraceptive coverage from their employees. These are women’s issues, but they’re bigger than that - they’re family issues. And they’re economic issues," said Kaine.
In contrast, Kaine has been a strong advocate of full access to health care for Virginia women. Kaine endorsed the contraception mandate to ensure birth control would be considered preventive care in insurance plans without a co-pay, and spoke out strongly against 'personhood' legislation and Virginia's ultrasound mandate. At the time, Kaine said the bills were bad for Virginia women, bad for Virginia’s image, and bad for Virginia’s businesses. Kaine has additionally been a strong supporter of pay equity legislation such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. “Economic Issues” is the fourth radio ad released by Tim Kaine following “Clock," "Family Issues,” featuring his wife, Anne Holton, and the Spanish-language ad “Valores.”
:60 Radio Ad - “Economic Issues”
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FEMALE VOICE: “Excerpts from the September 20th Tim Kaine – George Allen debate—Governor Tim Kaine:” KAINE: “It’s demeaning to suggest that issues about women are just social issues and not economic issues. If you force women to have an ultrasound procedure against their will, and pay for it, that’s an economic issue.” |
2012: Virginia Passed Mandatory Ultrasound Law, Which Requires Women To Pay For The Procedure. The Associated Press reported, “The ultrasound mandate for abortions drew large Capitol Square protests that, in March, resulted in the arrest of 30 protesters during a Capitol steps sit-in. It also brought ridicule for Virginia officials, including Republican legislators and Gov. Bob McDonnell, from ‘Saturday Night Live,’ ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ and other cable and late-night television personalities. Initially, the GOP-backed legislation would have compelled women to undergo a vaginally invasive form of ultrasound, which opponents labeled state-mandated sodomy. Republicans countered that ‘transvaginal ultrasounds’ are common practice in very early term abortions. But as the state became a laughingstock, McDonnell persuaded House and Senate Republicans to water down the bill my eliminating the mandated invasive procedure. It sailed through the House, with its lopsided Republican majority, but emerged from the evenly split Senate only after hours of searing debate. Democratic amendments that would have required insurance companies to pay the costs or have the state pay the bills for uninsured women were also rejected. McDonnell signed the bill into law.” [Associated Press State & Local Wire, 6/29/12] |
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KAINE: “If you deny women the opportunity, because of personhood legislation, to make Constitutional choices, even including whether to purchase contraception, that’s an economic issue.” |
Allen: “I Believe That Life Begins At Conception And Support Legislation Declaring The Personhood Of Every Individual Life.” [George Allen Campaign Website, Accessed 9/30/12] Allen Supported The Personhood Legislation Passed By Virginia's House Of Delegates And Said He Would Push To Make It National Policy. In an interview on WLNI's Brian and Mari Show, Allen was asked: "The Virginia House of Delegates has passed the so-called fetal personhood bill that defines life as beginning at conception. You said that you support this measure. Would you push for the same kind of measure in the U.S. Senate?" Allen responded: "Well, I think that human life does begin at conception and I think that we ought to have policies that try to protect innocent unborn life - one of the more - yes and I would at the federal level as well for national policy." [WLNI, The Brian and Mari Show, 2/15/12]
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KAINE: “When George Allen was in Congress he repeatedly voted against Family Medical Leave Act…” |
Three Times, Allen Voted Against The Family And Medical Leave Act. As a Congressman, Allen voted three times against the Family and Medical Leave Act, which gives workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family emergencies, including to care for a newborn or sick relative. [HR 2, Vote 393, 11/13/91; S5, Vote 390, 9/10/92; S5, Vote 443, 9/30/92; CQ Floor Votes] George Allen Had “Strong Opposition” To FMLA, Calling It “Harmful, Interfering, Counterproductive Legislation.” In September 1992 George Allen said of the Family and Medical Leave Act: “Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. Unpaid leave to give birth or adopt a child or to care for a sick family member is certainly desirable, and I would encourage businesses to offer such a benefit. However, let us examine this congressional edict. First and foremost the Government has no right to dictate employment contract provisions onto the free enterprise system. . . . I implore the House to stop meddling in matters which are not its concern, and I urge my colleagues to vote down this harmful, interfering, counterproductive legislation.” [Congressional Record, 9/10/92] |
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KAINE: “… He’s supported the Blunt amendment to enable employers to take away contraceptive coverage for their employees.” |
Allen Supported The Blunt Amendment, Which Would Allow Any Employer To Deny Contraceptive Coverage For Their Employees. The Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog reported, “Allen supports the Blunt amendment, campaign spokeswoman Katie Wright said.” [Washington Post, 3/1/12]
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KAINE: “These are women’s issues but they’re bigger than that, they’re family issues and they’re economic issues. Women are more than half of this economy and we have to make the right policies about women if we’re going to have the kind of economy that we want. I’m Tim Kaine, candidate for U.S. Senate, and I approve of this message.” FEMALE ANNOUNCER: “Paid for by Kaine for Virginia.” |
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