Dear Daily Emerald:
When it comes to service to this country’s military, John McCain has an honorable record. His dedication to the flag is unquestioned.
But when it comes to service to this country’s women, children and families, Senator McCain’s record leaves little to be honored. His disregard for them is unconscionable.
In 1990, McCain was the deciding vote upholding the first President Bush’s veto of the 1990 Civil Rights Act, which addressed discrimination against women and minorities. His lifetime rating from civil rights groups? An “F.”
Since 1983, McCain has cast 130 votes on reproductive rights issues, and 125 of these votes have been against the right of choice. His lifetime rating from pro-women’s groups? Again, an “F.”
In 1990, McCain voted against extending the Title X federal family planning programs, which provided low-income and uninsured women and families with health care services ranging from cancer screening to birth control. In 2003, he voted against requiring health care insurance providers to cover birth control and hormone replacement therapy.
He opposes comprehensive sex education, and publicly supports President Bush’s policy on sex education, which promotes abstinence-only programs rather than modern family planning methods.
McCain opposes making affordable healthcare coverage available to all Americans. He has repeatedly voted to cut or end various children’s health programs. He has even chosen, in 2005, tax cuts for billionaires over healthcare for children. He said President Bush made “the right call” in vetoing an expansion of healthcare for kids.
He has voted several times against raising the minimum wage. He surely knew that most minimum wage earners are women. Earlier this year, he opposed a Senate bill that would have secured equal pay for women, saying instead that women needed “better education and training.”
McCain thrice voted against school breakfast and lunch programs for low-income students. He has voted against college tuition tax credits, against tax credits for teachers seeking further certification, and against federal funding to recruit and train new teachers nationwide to reduce classroom sizes. He even voted against additional funding for Title I that would have been fully offset by eliminating certain corporate tax breaks.
John McCain’s voting record is clear. He has proved himself consistently anti-choice, anti-education, and a reliable vote instead in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy and tax breaks for corporations. No one should be fooled by his media-graced reputation as a “maverick.”
Women especially need to learn more about McCain’s abysmal record on matters most important to them. Anyone who cares about reproductive rights, family planning, education and issues relating to equality for women and healthcare for children need to become more familiar with the new Republican Party standard bearer.
Seventies rock legends The Who once sang: “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” On issues affecting women, children, and families, it is not hyperbole to say that John McCain is in lockstep with George W. Bush. While running as somebody different, McCain is really just more of the same.
Todd Huffman, M.D.
Pediatrician
Eugene, Oregon
[email protected]