Women are not second-class citizens, Rep. Rehberg

Editor:

Rep. Denny Rehberg is waging a war on women. He displays a Neanderthal attitude toward women. Look at his votes.

• Voted twice against the Ledbetter Fair Play Act, a bipartisan bill protecting women's rights to seek restitution if they're victims of pay discrimination.
• Opposed the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen protections for women to fight pay discrimination.
• Resisted funding for preventive care — pap smears and mammograms.
• Proposes total defunding of Title X Family Planning Program which has been proven successful for 40 years.
• Voted for draconian cuts in food aid programs to children, pregnant women, and senior citizens.
• Co-sponsored and voted for H.R. 358, the "Let Women Die" bill, which would allow hospitals to refuse to provide emergency, life-saving abortion care, even if she would die without it.
• Tried imposing anti-abortion politics into an agriculture bill with an amendment to bar discussion of abortion over the Internet and other ways.
• Supported the Blunt Amendment allowing employers to deny certain insurance coverage based on "moral convictions." The denials would pertain almost totally to women's benefits.
• Stood silent as he and his party decline to bring the Violence Against Women Act to a vote in the House.

Mr. Rehberg, women are not second-class citizens!

Sen. Jon Tester has been a strong supporter of the rights of women. He has championed bills which benefit thousands of women and children in Montana and brought millions of dollars to Montana to assist women in the pursuit of their rights.

Rep. Rehberg needs to grasp the fact that the Sirens do not reside on the shores of Flathead Lake and that women today need to be treated with fairness by our Legislature.

Women need to stand up for their rights and elect a senator who does not view them with some caveman attitude toward women.

Ernest Scherzer

Trout Creek