Member of Tennessee BPW/USA

BPW TN Executives  Brave The Cold in D.C. to Lobby for Women's Bills on February 8, 2007.

Updated 02-21-2007

On February 7 through 10, 2007, three members of BPW/TN Executive Committee, Gail  Humphrey, President, Sharon Taylor, President-Elect and Carol Turpen, Vice-President, along with 2000-2001 BPW/TN Past State President and member of the BPW/USA  Issues Management Task Force, Beth Bates, braved the bitter northeastern cold and attended the Policy and Action Conference and Interim Board Meeting in Washington, D.C.  Traditionally held in February, this is the time of the year that BPW/USA members across the United States converge on the Nations Capitol to lobby for legislation that affects all women.  The four days were chock-full of activities that were fun and enlightening.

On the morning of Thursday, February 8, Beth and Carol attended the BPW/PAC Breakfast with newly elected BPW/PAC endorsed Members of Congress.  Prior to the legislative meetings, the BPW/TN members posed for a group shot with the Capitol in the background.  They then visited the Supreme Court and attended a lecture in the actual courtroom.  They gained insight into how laws are interpreted at this judicial level.  Prior to meeting with their legislative representatives, everyone attended a panel presentation of the three bills to be discussed and lunch with Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).  The BPW/TN members then visited with representatives from the offices of Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Bob Corker, Congressman John Tanner and Congressman Bart Gordon to discuss the following issues:

v     Heart Disease Education, Analysis and Research, and Treatment for Women Act or the             ‘HEART for Women Act’ (S2278).  This bill, introduced by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Lisa Murkoski (R-AK) and in the House by Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Barbara Cubin (R-WY) in Feb. 2006 is designed to raise awareness among women and their health care providers that heart disease is the number one killer of women.  It will provide screening for low-income at-risk women and provide gender and race-specific information for clinicians and researchers.  It also authorizes the Medicare program to conduct an educational awareness campaign for older women about the risk for heart disease and stroke.

v     Healthy Families Act – Would provide full-time employees with seven paid sick days a year to be used for their own medical needs or to tend to the medical needs of a child, spouse or parent.  Almost half of full-time, private sector workers have no paid sick days and this problem is particularly acute for working women. There would be no cost to the government.

v     Women’s Retirement Security Act – sponsored by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) would assist women with their retirement by helping them to increase their retirement savings through automatic IRAs, preserve their income, provide equity in the case of divorce, improve financial literacy, and encourage small businesses to enter and remain in the employer retirement system by providing small businesses with a tax credit for contributions to a new qualified benefit plan.

While we were unable to meet with the Legislators themselves, the assistants were quite knowledgeable about the issues and have the ears of their bosses.  Senator Alexander was scheduled to meet with us, but was tied up in a meeting, but showed up to greet us as we prepared to leave.

On Wednesday evening, attendees attended a special screening of “Vietnam Nurses”, a Lifetime Television presentation for ‘Women Joining Forces” starring Dana DeLaney.  It was a moving and information documentary about the nurses who served in the Vietnam War and the special problems they faced upon their return.  This documentary emphasized the need today for the “Women Joining Forces” program which was initiated by BPW/USA in 2006.

.On Thursday evening, Beth and Sharon attended the Equal Rights Amendments Dinner  with guest speakers Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner who co-wrote “Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future” which discussed the need to keep pursuing the ERA, and its importance to women today.  Following the dinner, a motivating special screening of a past episode of “Commander in Chief” starring Gena Davis that pertained to the ERA was shown.  Arkansas is very close to passing the ERA, so it was very timely.

Friday brought legislative workshops and luncheon speakers such as Christine Griffin, Commissioner for the EEOC and Irene Natividad, President of the Global Summit of Women. Both women were moving and motivating.  All State Officers attended training sessions and a town hall meeting on Friday night to learn about proposed changes for BPW/USA and how we can continue to make this a striving organization.

 The members attended a financial review and Interim Board meeting on Saturday.  Many new proposed bylaws were brought before the Board that will be presented to the Convention Body in Reno in July, 2007.