When Astorino decided to run for the office of Governor in New York State, in 2014, he altered his position on abortion from opposing it under any condition to opposing abortion, except for rape, incest & maternal life.
Astorino, in his capacity as a Westchester County Executive, hasn’t had many chances to take action on abortion-related issues but when he has, he has taken women’s rights away. Just look at his veto of legislation passed to guarantee women safe access to health centers. Astorino put his religious convictions ahead of the safety of the women of Westchester and vetoed it!
Although in previous county elections Astorino has avoid discussing reproductive rights, because he knows Westchester is a pro-choice county, his actions have spoken loudly. Astorino has used Women’s Equality Day to honor only women who oppose the right to choose; and he has vetoed legislation passed by the majority of our county legislators to ensure women safe access to health care.
Asked whether he philosophically opposes permitting state money to be used to allow women lacking other financial resources to access abortion care, Astorino said yes, but wouldn’t say whether he’d seek to cut such spending given the opportunity – or whether he would defund Planned Parenthood and other health centers.
Remember: Who you stand with says a lot about what you stand for – and Astorino stands with Trump!
This time we are living in is much like a game of Three Card Monty.
It is easy to be distracted. While we focus our attention on Trump, we are taking our eyes off of Albany.
Right now, 8 rogue Democrats who are more concerned with personal power than party and principle, have aligned themselves with the Party of Trump. They call themselves the “Independent Democratic Conference” (IDC) but they govern with the Republicans. The IDC has deliberately turned the duly elected majority party, the Democratic Party, into the Minority Party, and have catapulted the Party of Trump, the Republican Party, into the majority. Because of these 8, our New York State Senate is failing to do the business for which they were elected. (Sounds complicated, but it’s not. They sold their constituents out for personal gain.)
The agreement between the IDC, and the Party of Trump is that they will only bring up those items that both groups want to come to the floor – in other words, a Republican agenda.
Please understand, the Republicans, despite being in the minority, rule in Albany. Nothing that the Republican leadership does not want to come to the floor of the Senate, ever sees the light of day. And that includes women’s reproductive autonomy and Making New York State a Reproductive Rights Sanctuary.
BUT THEY KEEP THIS A BIG DARK SECRET FROM THEIR VOTERS. We must pull back the curtain and expose them for who they are. Governor Cuomo must demand that these 8 rogue Democrats caucus with the party to which they were elected.
The New York State Senate must stand with Lady Liberty and welcome all those who come to our state, whether crossing the country for reproductive care or from another land. We cannot be that beacon to the weary if the 8 rogue Democrats continue to caucus with the Party of Trump in Albany producing a Republican agenda.
Help us make them return to the caucus to which their constituents elected them.
Today marks the 44th anniversary of the U.S Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, which recognized that women have a constitutional right to have control over their own bodies.
Before Roe was decided on January 22, 1973, women fought for years for the right to have a safe, legal abortion. In Chicago, there was J.A.N.E., a secret group of primarily women who refused to stand by as women died in dirty back-alley abortions. Other women provided an “underground railroad” for those who needed to travel to get an abortion. Women, just as with the Suffrage Movement, courageously battled for years.
Yesterday, women stood together again in cities across the nation and countries around the world – and this time, some men stood with us. We will not stand idly by as our rights are trampled upon.
Here in New York, we officially launched our campaign, Make New York State a Reproductive Rights Sanctuary – and Governor Cuomo recognized it by announcing a contraceptive coverage administrative action that serves as a stopgap measure until we can get the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act (CCCA) passed by the New York State Senate. (The Assembly passed CCCA last Tuesday.)
Please note, an administrative action is NOT adequate. Like a president’s Executive Order, it can be wiped away by a successor, just as we are witnessing Donald Trump act on his commitment to undo President Obama’s Executive Orders.
Now the New York State Senate Must Join the Assembly in Standing up for All Women and pass the “Comprehensive” Contraceptive Coverage Act!
Join us and our Make New York State a Reproductive Rights Sanctuarycampaign.
Together, like all who fought for Roe and for the right to vote, we stand united.
We are calling on the Governor to use the powers he demonstrated when he got the Senate to pass Marriage Equality, and Safe Gun and Anti-Fracking Legislation. Governor Cuomo must convince the seven rogue Democrats of the IDC to return to the Democratic Caucus, so that they can do what they were elected to do — the People’s Business.
