Recently, this bipartisan article appeared in the Washington, DC Roll Call.  I wanted to share it with you.  Although, it does not mention our key issues:  portable benefits, flexible benefits, flexible workplaces, tax fairness and health care for small businesses; we are working with both sides of the aisle to move these issues forward!  We appreciate Congresswoman Capps and Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers's hard work on issues that impact women, families and small business.

March 12, 2008

By Reps. Lois Capps and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Special to Roll Call

The Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues is celebrating its 31st anniversary this week, with a gala tonight honoring its leaders. As we observe this significant milestone, it's important to recognize what a remarkable time this is for American women and pause to appreciate how far we have come as women both in Congress and across the country.

Consider this: Just 87 years after American women received the right to vote in federal elections, women now are expected to cast more than half of the votes in the upcoming 2008 election. This high level of participation shouldn't surprise anyone. Already, women manage more than half of household incomes, control more than half the money in the New York Stock Exchange and make most of the health care decisions in the family, all while trying to balance the demands of work and family life.

This enhanced influence of women in all aspects of American life is reflected in the increased power of women in Congress. Most notably, we saw the inauguration of the first female Speaker last year. We also have 73 women serving in the House of Representatives. And 35 House committees and subcommittees are chaired by women or have female ranking members.

This is a far cry from 31 years ago when the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues was founded. At that time, women in the House didn't enjoy the same amount of influence and respect in the halls of Congress as they do today. There were far fewer female Members, and their male colleagues largely wrote them off. Infamously, one of our founding Members - then-Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) - was forced to share a seat, literally, on the Armed Services Committee. This underscored the larger fight facing women to gain a seat at the tables of power in Congress and across the country.

In the face of this adversity, the women of Congress joined together across party lines to form the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. We found that, by uniting as women, we can often transcend the traditional boundaries of partisan politics and advance our shared agenda of addressing issues important to women and families.

In 2007, working together, we passed legislation that protected genetic information nondiscrimination, highlighted International Women's Day, honored the important role the Girl Scouts play in helping young girls, recognized the important contributions of women serving in the military and celebrated the anniversary of Title IX. Additionally, we continued to bring attention to important women's health issues such as breast cancer and cervical cancer.

Family and social burdens come with an aging population and comparatively fewer young workers. There is virtually no legal restriction on the ability of people to acquire long-term care insurance with pretax dollars at work. For people who must buy insurance outside the workplace, however, tax breaks are stingier.            

Because Medicare does not cover most long-term care, seniors must provide for their own needs, or exhaust their assets to qualify for Medicaid.

Because women are more than twice as likely as men to experience a long stint in a nursing home, this is a "women's issue/human rights issue."

Four states allow seniors to protect assets against Medicaid by buying insurance, but Congress has prevented similar arrangements in the other 46 states.

Why can't we have a level playing field?  People who save for retirement, purchase health insurance, long-term care insurance and/or day care should receive just as much tax relief as people who obtain those benefits at work!

And what about portable health and retirement benefits, so that people are not penalized when they switch jobs?

Why can't everyone protect assets by buying long-term care insurance, using Medicaid only for catastrophic costs?

Beyond expressions of sympathy or empathy, what are the respective positions of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain on these issues?

You tell me…

Americans say they are tired of bickering, and those who divide our country with partisan dialogue. Yet Hillary Clinton is still in the presidential race, in part because of hard-hitting advertisements in the Ohio and Texas primaries.

Despite this, it's hard to see how Clinton can get the nomination. Barack Obama is still in the driver's seat in their party, and that's interesting. In the end, the two hopefuls with the most consistent record of appealing to voters in both parties will most likely carry their respective banners in November - Obama and Republican John McCain.

I'm not yet counting out Hillary, but the numbers lead me to ask: Barack Obama and John McCain - who would be the strongest? I'll put my bet on whichever one does the best job of appealing to small business owners and to working women.

National policy is not keeping up with the evolution of the needs of American workers and small businesses.  Many small business owners would like to provide Fortune 500 benefits to employees, including quality health care.

Corporate America and Labor Unions can get insurance across state lines with economy of scale and lower costs. Why can't small business owners get the same breaks as large corporations and labor unions?

Can't this be fixed?

Why are small business owners being discriminated against?

What are the positions of the two apparent nominees on this issue?

Small business owners need help now. Who will provide that help? Barack or John? Or, does Hillary have answers dramatic enough to get her the nomination, after all? You tell me…