Joe and Susan Rally for Pennsylvania Women

By SESTAK FOR SENATE

MEDIA, Pa. – U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak and his wife Susan Clark-Sestak today called for a new era of leadership that speaks to the concerns of women and working families, stating that there is still much to be done to ensure men and women are treated equally under the law.

Addressing a rally of supporters on the steps of the Delaware County Courthouse, Susan said her husband was the only candidate in this race who has fought relentlessly for fair and equitable treatment of women.

“This year, in the race for Senate, Pennsylvanians face a stark choice. Nowhere is this contrast more pronounced than on women’s issues,” said Susan. “My husband Joe is a problem solver, whose positions reflect the strength of his convictions and a deep faith that our nation is built on working families and we just need to give them the fair opportunities they deserve.”

The rally marked the launch of “Women for Sestak,” a grassroots group of supporters who will work to inform and encourage women to get involved in the campaign. The group will be led by Susan with co-chairs, including the women in Joe’s family and leaders from across Pennsylvania.

Susan said much is at stake in this election and voters will decide between a candidate who continues to be a strong advocate for women’s rights and a candidate who has ignored these issues entirely.

In fact, Congressman Toomey’s website only addresses women twice: once when he defines marriage as between a man and a woman, and again when he asserts that men and women alike have the right to bear arms. In Congress he voted for tax cuts that benefited only the ultra-rich but voted against funding for child care and opposed increasing the child tax credit for low-income parents. He also voted against legislation to fund a nationwide study that would assess and address the disturbing trends in federal contracting for women-owned businesses. Then, after the House passed the legislation, Toomey joined the Bush Administration in delaying the study’s publication by seven years.

“Congressman Toomey cares more about tax cuts for the wealthy than standing up for what’s right,” said Susan. “His rigid mindset would do nothing but reverse the progress women have made over the last generation and jeopardize the future of Pennsylvania’s working families.”

In Congress, Admiral Sestak has helped lead the fight for gender equity and fair wages. Earlier this year, he introduced his Gender Equity Act of 2010, which includes measures to adopt fair paid leave practices, provide support for domestic violence victims, end maternity discrimination and stop caps on gender discrimination damages. Joe has also voted to improve business opportunities and health care coverage for women and has pushed for skill training in fields in which women are underrepresented.

“The issue of gender equity remains one of the great social struggles of our time, an issue that not only impacts women, but also working families everywhere. Though we have made great strides, there is much more work to be done,” said Joe. “Susan and I have an nine-year-old daughter, and like all daughters, she deserves to grow up in a world where women have access to the same rights and benefits as men, and as your next U.S. Senator, I will help make sure they will.”

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