It's not just progressives. It's women as well. Their voices are not heard and represented in the budget deficit talks. There isn't a single woman among the administration officials and elected officials at the table in discussing painful cuts that would impact every element of women's lives. Here's the story below:
Vice President Joe Biden has been leading the negotiations with a bipartisan group of lawmakers: Sens. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), and Reps. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew and National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling were also at the latest meeting on Tuesday. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) put out his own budget blueprint that has been shaping the debate for both sides.
There hasn't been a single woman given a seat at the budget negotiating table, despite the fact that many proposed cuts would hit programs that disproportionately affect women.
All men. All privileged. All in high seats of power. Where are the women? Why aren't they given a place at the table and progressives as well? It's not the first time this has happened. In the last budget negotiations between administration officials and elected representatives, women weren't represented at the table.
Women -- including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- were also left out of final budget negotiations in April, when White House aides gathered with high-level staffers for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to hash out a measure to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. The final deal involved a major battle over women's health, including debates about blocking government funds to Planned Parenthood and banning the District of Columbia from using its own tax revenue to subsidize abortions for low-income women.
Not a single one was there last time, and there isn't one this time around. Who will ensure that women's voices are heard on the budget deficit?
The cuts proposed by Republicans will involve every element of women's lives, access to health care for themselves, their children, food, nutrition, and so on. We need women at the table to make their voices heard to the Republicans, and the White House needs to involve women at that level of negotiation, whether it by Minority Leader Pelosi, female Senators, or female Representatives.
Hopefully a meeting can be granted by Vice President Biden and WH administration officials to hear the concerns that women, families, and their children have about these draconian budget cuts.
On Tuesday, a coalition of women's organizations sent President Obama and Biden a letter requesting a meeting with them to discuss how the budget cuts will impact women and families.
On a conference call with reporters, National Organization for Women President Terry O'Neill said the coaltion has relayed its concerns directly to the White House, and she believes its members may be granted a meeting with staffers.
No group should be left out of the budget deficit talks. I don't think it's okay for women and progressives to be left out of these budget deficit talks. We need them there to save our programs from political cuts, and to safeguard them for the future needs of our citizens in this country. I hope you agree with me as well that our female representatives should be at the table when it comes to dealing with the budgetary future of programs on the chopping block.