The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee is proud to announce our endorsement of Rep. Tammy Baldwin for U.S. Senate. Baldwin launched her bid this week to become the next Democratic senator from Wisconsin, filling the seat of the retiring Sen. Herb Kohl.
Baldwin serves on the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues and has been a strong advocate and supporter of women’s rights during her seven terms in office. She has worked on a long list of women’s rights issues, including pay equity, violence against women, reproductive rights and women’s health. Recently Baldwin introduced a resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline that put a stop to the ratification process of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Baldwin has led successful efforts in the House to pass expanded hate crimes legislation. She is co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and is committed to achieving the full scope of human rights for LGBT people in the U.S. and around the world.
NOW applauds Baldwin for cosponsoring legislation to repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 2009 and again when re-introduced in 2011. Under DOMA, same-sex couples who legally wed are still denied federal marriage benefits, and other states may refuse to recognize their unions.
In the Senate, Baldwin will continue to work to advance social justice issues, with an urgent focus on protecting Social Security and ensuring adequate funding for the program into the future.
Baldwin already made history in 1998 by becoming the first woman elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Wisconsin and the first non-incumbent, openly gay person to serve in Congress. If elected in 2012, she will become the first openly gay person to serve in the U.S. Senate. NOW/PAC looks forward to supporting Tammy Baldwin in her candidacy; we have no doubt that she will continue to be a champion for equal rights for all.
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