I’m Angela Gandolfo, a progressive Democrat running for congress in New Jersey’s 4th district against the Republican incumbent Chris Smith. Smith’s brand has become synonymous with the “war on women,” but beyond the occasional flash in the pan, even the most engaged liberal doesn’t know who he is. Let me tell you…
For over 30 years Christopher Smith has traveled the globe, fighting an Anti-Woman, Anti-Choice crusade on every battlefield he can find.
One such anti-choice battle took place during the rewriting of Kenya’s constitution and the rise of the Tea Party at home. In 2010, a fundamentalist wave overtook the House of Representatives, but shortly before that, a wave of violence struck Kenya over their own elections, which triggered a move to revise their constitution.
Kenya’s new constitution was signed on August 27th, 2010 by President Mwai Kibaki. It contained no reference to family planning or for access to abortion. What the new constitution contains is an unprecedented move towards gender equality in the nation of 43 million. 1/3rd of the seats in parliament must be filled by women. Women now have the right to own and inherit land, and the right to control family resources. These changes to Kenya’s law show a remarkable advancement of women’s rights.
Back at home, Chris Smith insisted those advancements were part of a devilish agenda to promote abortion. Because USAID spent money on women’s groups in Kenya, Smith prompted a massive investigation to find out if any of that money went to promote family planning and abortion.
Smith (in his own words) undermined the need for health and treatment services of mothers by calling it the establishment of “abortion on demand” in Kenya.
The end result of the investigation? Nothing. Fox News even covered the outcome.
How much taxpayer money has been lost from Smith’s global fight to control women’s lives?
He doesn’t stop there, either. His Anti-Woman votes encompass more than his Anti-Choice policies.
Not long ago he gave a speech on the House floor about the need for a strong Violence Against Women Act.
He then turned around and voted against VAWA.
He introduced the “No Public Funding for Abortions” bill in 2011, which included language that would redefine rape as “forcible”. This shows a willingness to not only pursue an anti-choice agenda, but to do it at any cost.
Chris Smith doesn’t care if women are impregnated through rape; he doesn’t even consider it rape if the victim is unconscious, coerced, or in any other way unable to consent.
His crusade against women’s rights and the hypocrisy that has gripped his tenure alone make him worth running against.
If you are interested in supporting our campaign, follow either of the links below!
ActBlue
Democracy.com