The Gil Cisneros plan for Defending Women’s Rights

The Gil Cisneros Gun Violence Prevention Plan 1

CONTENTS

Women’s Rights ....................................................................................................................................2

Protect a Woman’s Right to Choose ..............................................................................................2

Fight for Planned Parenthood Funding .......................................................................................2

Economic Equity .................................................................................................................................3

Gender Wage Gap ................................................................................................................................3

Domestic Violence ..............................................................................................................................4

Sexual Harassment ..............................................................................................................................4

Women of Color ...................................................................................................................................4

Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................4

The Gil Cisneros Gun Violence Prevention Plan 2

Women’s Rights

In America, women make up over 50% of the population. Right here in the 39th District, women

contribute so much to our community, yet are constantly battling for equality. It is time that

Congress protects a woman’s reproductive rights, provides equal access to healthcare by fully

funding Planned Parenthood, and addresses gender inequality. Gil supports pro-women policies

not only because he appreciates the contribution women in his life have made, but because he

understands that a woman’s value expands far beyond her relationships to men. It is time that public

policy finally reflects this essential truth. Gil and his wife Jacki will fight alongside women to stand

up against any misguided and misleading attacks on the rights that women deserve. Gil supports

enshrining the rights of women in the Constitution by passing the Equal Rights Amendment.

Protect a Woman’s Right to Choose

Everywhere we turn, a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body is in jeopardy.

The Trump Administration appointed a U.S. Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice who

neither believe in a women’s right to choose nor support the monumental Supreme Court

decisions that protect that right. Gil believes that decisions about a woman’s health are between

her and her doctor. Gil believes it is imperative that Congress require insurers to cover birth

control without a co-pay and protect providers and patients from intimidation or violence. In

Congress, he will make sure that every woman in American can make the decision to visit a

clinic without fear of any repercussion.

As a nation, we have worked hard to establish protections for reproductive health centers and

the patients who rely on those centers. Thousands of women, men, and families across America

benefit from reproductive health services and they should have the right to enter a clinic to

receive services without harassment or intimidation. Gil supports the enforcement of long-

standing legislation, such as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which allows

the U.S. Attorney General to bring criminal penalties against anyone who interferes with patients

entering one of the centers to receive services. The Trump Administration regularly supports

rhetoric and policy that shows a blatant disregard for the FACE Act and other protections of the

kind. Gil and Jacki care about the women and men who benefit from the services provided by

reproductive health centers and will ensure that those protections are enforced.

Fight for Planned Parenthood Funding

The last decade has seen some of the greatest advances in health care, but it is an uphill battle for

women to gain access to that healthcare. Republicans are attempting to dismantle health laws and

programs that have been put in place to protect American women. Funding for Planned Parenthood

continues to be threatened and attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may

remove key protections. Gil will not only defend the ACA protections, but he will fight to pass

legislation that allows for full and continued funding for Planned Parenthood facilities.

For 100 years, Planned Parenthood facilities have provided access to essential healthcare services

including cancer screening, STD testing, family planning, breast exams, and prenatal care. This

access has been crucial to both women and men throughout the Nation. Planned Parenthood

facilities serve nearly 5 million people in a single year with over 650 facilities. More than 80% of the

annual funding is dedicated to medical services, client services, education, and outreach, and only

3% of those services include abortions. Defunding Planned Parenthood would mean millions of

The Gil Cisneros Gun Violence Prevention Plan 3

low-income individuals would be denied access to key health care services and hundreds of facilities

could close down. Members of communities all around America rely on Planned Parenthood for

these services; Gil will work to protect that critical funding to Planned Parenthood and oppose

legislation that threatens this funding.

Beyond healthcare facilities, women need equal access to affordable health insurance. The passage

of the ACA marked, for the first time, a ban on gender discrimination in the health insurance market.

Under this ban, women could no longer be charged more than men for health coverage in the

individual market. This includes prohibiting coverage providers from charging extra for preventative

health services, like mammograms, and classifying pregnancy as a “pre-existing condition.” Gil and

Jacki know the value of these protections and will ensure that Congress never repeals a woman’s

health care rights.

Economic Equity

Women face many economic issues, from the glass ceiling to the floor of poverty. Gil is committed to

support legislation that promotes welfare reform, livable wages, job discrimination, pay equity, access

to housing, pension reform, and much more. Gil will fight to secure equal pay for women, which will

benefit all women and their families. While Donald Trump thinks it is dangerous for women to leave

the home and believes paid family leave hurts our economy, Gil will stand up to support legislative

action on a national family and medical leave act. Equality in pay, job opportunities, political

structure, social security and education are all issues that Gil will continue to fight for in Congress.

Gender Wage Gap

Motherhood penalty is a major barrier to closing the gender wage gap. When women become

mothers, they tend to suffer financially. Despite the gains women have made in the labor force in

recent decades, wages continue to lag behind men’s. This disparity is due to stereotypical gender

norms, childcare responsibilities, bias, and limited access to male networks. To close the gender gap

we need to reshape how we approach motherhood, and we need to support parents through paid

family leave and affordable child care.

In Congress, Gil would be a co-sponsor of H.R. 947, the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act

(FAMILY Act). This Democratic plan would support working parents with up to 66 percent of their

wages, up to a capped amount, for 12 weeks after childbirth, severe personal injury or family medical

emergency. The FAMILY Act would be funded through employee and employer payroll contributions.

Paid leave would help new parents keep their families on track to meet new expenses. Following a

birth, mothers who take paid leave are more likely than those who take no paid leave to stay in the

workforce and more likely to report wage increases. Gil believes it is unacceptable for the United

States to be the only developed nation that has not designated formal paid leave for new mothers.

In addition to paid family leave, Gil believes parents should have access to high quality, publicly

funded child care. In Congress, Gil will support H.R.3773, the Child Care for Working Families Act.

This bill would establish a new federal-state partnership to provide high-quality, affordable child care

through age 13, and more than double the number of children eligible for child care assistance in

a quality program. This bill would produce more jobs, provide people working in child care a living

wage, and allow parents to either work or work more. Reducing child care costs and increasing child

care availability increases employment among parents, primarily among mothers and those from

low-income families.

The Gil Cisneros Gun Violence Prevention Plan 4

Domestic Violence

Women are 16 times more likely to be killed by guns in America than in other developed countries. At

least 52 percent of American women killed by guns are victims of an intimate partner or family member.

In Congress Gil would support H.R. 2670, the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims

Act, which would strengthen federal law protecting victims of domestic violence and stalking by

expanding the current definition of intimate partners to include those who are dating. This would

prohibit abusers with temporary restraining orders filed against them from purchasing a firearm, and

adding those convicted of stalking to the list of those prohibited from purchasing firearms.

Sexual Harassment

In Congress, Gil will champion an overhaul of the House of Representatives Office Of Compliance

and the process through which they settle sexual harassment claims. He will fight for public

disclosure of such claims and the elimination of mandatory cooling-off periods for victims seeking

to report sexual misconduct in the House of Representatives. Gil will champion the termination of

taxpayer funded settlements to victims of sexual harassment.

Women of Color

Gil understands that racism inflicts a double burden on women of color and that they can often be

left out of the conversation on women’s rights. In Congress Gil is committed to fighting for equal

opportunities for women of color in all areas. including employment, education and reproductive

rights. Women of color are disproportionately impacted by discriminatory pay practices, and in

Congress Gil will combat the discrimination they face on and off the job.

Women of color have had to constantly fight for the right to have children and the right to choose.

They have been policed and marginalized through welfare reform, immigration laws, and racialized

myths about their bodies and sexuality. This has often prevented women of color from having

children on their own terms, making it difficult for them to access child care, access paid sick leave,

and to raise their children as they see fit. The Trump administration has only exacerbated their

problem through efforts to cut Medicaid by more than $600 billion, cut welfare programs by $270

billion, cut teen pregnancy prevention programs by $214 million, and repeal the Affordable Care Act

(ACA). This has put at risk women of color’s reproductive autonomy and the ability of their families

to succeed. Gil will support legislation that increases investments to expand high-quality, affordable

child care to every eligible working family with young children. Gil will fight to ensure access to

quality health care for all, without discrimination, including timely and appropriate care for mothers.

Gil will also supports the rights of women of color to decide how they give birth as parents. While

medical reasons may compel doctors to sometimes intervene, women should always maintain some

level of control over their childbirth and delivery.

Conclusion

We need to inspire girls in our country and support women, not discriminate based on sex or

gender identity. Promoting a diverse and fair workforce will only contribute to economic growth.

In Congress Gil will fight for women’s rights and promote the welfare of all women. Gil will fight

to expand opportunity for women, he will confront violence against women, push for pro-family

policies, and defend a woman’s right to control her own body.