Much At Stake Women’s Vote the Deciding Factor! By Deborah Walden and Kimberly Robson Military readiness, national missile defense, education, Social Security, gun violence…these are just some of the issues you have seen in the headlines of the presidential and congressional races across the country. There is much at stake in the November elections. Women will be the deciding factor in this election—the presidential and congressional candidates know it and they will be looking for your vote. Now is the time to get involved, to make sure your voice is heard on important issues. Women are the majority of… Pell Grant recipients Social Security beneficiaries Medicare recipients below the poverty line Earned Income Tax Credit filers Nursing home residents Victims of domestic violence Women are the majority of U.S. citizens and have the most at stake in federal budget decisions, yet we are only 11% of the members of Congress who make crucial decisions about the way tax dollars are spent. WAND women are in some of the most competitive congressional races in the country. These races will help determine the direction in which our country will go in the new century. Programs primarily affecting women are often first on the chopping block during budget debates on Capitol Hill—this is why we need to help elect more good women to Congress to support these programs.
Women start the majority of new businesses. Women-owned businesses are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy. Women make 80% of consumer decisions. Women are the single largest group of health care consumers. Women are the primary caregivers in American society.	Congress has made many decisions that are moving us in the wrong direction. In the last two years, Congress has supported the largest increases in Pentagon spending since the mid-1980s for such things as a new “Star Wars” missile defense system, the School of Americas, and weapons systems that the Pentagon has not requested, but which help fill the pockets of military contractors.
While voting to support such senseless programs, Congress has also rejected initiatives that make sense: ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, canceling the F-22 fighter jet, and cuts to the Trident D-5 missile program. The next president and the new Congress will have a number of important decisions to make—decisions that could lead us in a new direction to a better future. What is at stake in this election? A new global nuclear arms race or movement toward nuclear disarmament A decision on deployment of a national missile defense system (“Star Wars”) The future of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty Gun control Environmental protection Social Security and retirement income Prescription drug benefits Appointment of up to three new Supreme Court justices Women’s rights and reproductive choice Women must understand where candidates stand on the important issues that affect their lives! How can we, as women, make a difference in the elections? Take the WAND message to the streets during this election year. Watch the televised candidate debates. Check candidate positions and voting records to see where they stand on WAND issues (check out www.votesmart. org). Go to the polls on Tuesday, November 7 and VOTE. Encourage every woman you know to VOTE.