WAND’s August Bulletin

WAND's August Bulletin

A NEWSFLASH

Dear friends of WAND,

We are hard at work preparing for our biennial conference coming in less than three weeks - September 18-20. Instead of our regular monthly bulletin for August, we put together a quick NEWSLFASH highlighting our work this month.

We'll be back with our regularly scheduled full bulletin after our conference. Until then, read on and enjoy!

After the Debt Ceiling by Kathy Crandall Robinson

Racing to beat an August 2 deadline Congress approved the Budget Control Act, a deal allowing the debt ceiling to be raised and planning for deficit reduction measures. Was voting for the debt ceiling “deal” a necessary but bitter pill, or a “ sugar coated Satan sandwich” as one lawmaker called it?  Read a selection of statements from WAND/WiLL women leaders in Congress, some of whom voted yes and some whom voted no, and see what you think. In the end, we agree with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi who said, “It’s not a deal we like, but it’s a done deal.” And now that it is done, we have some suggestions for the next steps in coming budget debates.

Read WAND's suggestions for the next steps here.

As part of the Budget Control Act, a special Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSC) was formed to make recommendations for further deficit reduction measures. Of the twelve JSC members (six Senators and six Representatives), only one woman is on this Committee --Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) who co-chairs the JSC. See more about Sen. Murray and other women WAND wished were at this decision making table here.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen to receive 2011 WAND/WiLL Torchbearer Award at our Conference!

For years WAND/WiLL have watched and admired Senator Jeanne Shaheen's (D-NH) success as the first woman in history to be elected as both Governor and a United States Senator. We especially appreciate that the Senator serves on both the Foreign Relations and Armed Service Committees where she plays an important role on crucial security issues. Most recently, Senator Shaheen showed exemplary leadership throughout the debate and eventual ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. We know Senator Shaheen will serve as an inspiration to all of our conference participants!

• If you would like to hear Senator Shaheen speak during our Torchbearer Reception on Monday, September 19, please purchase tickets here.

MORE SPEAKERS AT THE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED!

In addition to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, we are pleased to announce

Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD) will kick off the conference with opening remarks on Sunday, September 18. On Monday, September 19 Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Ellen Tauscher will be featured as our capstone speaker.

WAND turns 30!

WiLL turns 20!

WAND and WiLL kicked off their anniversary celebrations this month. So what have we been doing for these last 30 years? This list highlights amazing milestones in the world of WAND and WiLL. Check out a blog post celebrating WAND's birthday celebrations along with the birthday of WAND founder Helen Caldicott here.

WAND Webinars

WAND's webinar series is growing! In early August we hosted an informative and timely webinar with DEMOS titled: "Making the Case for Government." It was our largest turnout yet! If you missed this great opportunity to learn about the most effective messages to use when talking about government and the revenues it needs to do its job well, you can check out the power point presentation here.

Today, Wednesday August 24 we will host a webinar with ReThink Media on the art of writing and placing op-eds. The webinar will begin at 3:00pm ET and last approximately one hour. Register for today's webinar here.