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Women’s Issues

" I believe every woman should have the right to choose...it's no place for the government to be involved.  In Congress, I'll fight to protect a woman's right to choose...even in the Supreme Court votes to take it away".
                  -Maryanne Connelly

Protecting a Woman’s Right to Choose.
Maryanne Connelly firmly believes in a woman’s right to choose.  An essential component of American freedom is the right to make decisions about our own bodies.  This very basic and necessary right means having access to safe and legal abortion, effective contraceptive options, and quality reproductive health care.  This is not a right American women can take for granted.  Despite the Roe v. Wade decision, access to abortion is increasingly tenuous.  Over the last decade, the Supreme Court has granted states more power to place restrictions on the procedure. Maryanne Connelly believes that the difficult decision of abortion is one that should be made by a woman and her doctor.  That is why she will work assiduously in Congress to ensure that all American women have the right to make their own decisions about their bodies.

Improving Women’s Health Resources.
Too many women suffer from a lack of access to healthcare resources and a failure to understand the importance of regular check-ups.  Maryanne Connelly supports providing resources to educate women on the importance of breast cancer screening, pre- and post-natal care, and healthy nutrition.  An estimated two million American women will be diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer in this decade, and half a million women will lose their lives to these diseases.  However, there are too many women who, once diagnosed, do not have health insurance to cover the costs of treatment.  Maryanne Connelly will work in Congress to offer states a new Medicaid option that allows them to provide low income, uninsured women with access to critical treatment services.

Ensuring Equal Pay.
Even in the 21^st Century, women continue to earn just 74 cents for every dollar than men earn and it takes them 15 months to earn what men earn in a year.  As a result, working families lose over $200 billion in income nationwide.  Maryanne Connelly supports the Paycheck Fairness Act that seeks to close the gender pay equity gap and ensure that women are paid based on performance and the demands of their job.  As Mayor of Fanwood, Maryanne equalized pay between male and female borough workers.

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