Behind The Mommy Mask: the “mothers” fighting the War Against Women
Right-wing “Mothers” Funded By Billionaires Are Destroying Popular Policies On Childcare, Healthcare, and Reproductive Freedom
QUICK READ: Popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized childcare, and more favored by most women is being torn apart systematically by rightwing so-called “non-partisan” women’s groups that are funded by rightwing anti-feminist billionaires and corporations. We need to make this dark money public and keep our private lives private.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
For a party so upset about masking, no such problem presents itself when it comes to hiding dark money behind a mommy mask.
The “Independent Women’s Forum” (IWF) and its sister group and advocacy arm, the “Independent Women’s Voice” (IWV) have been pushing an agenda against policies favored by women for decades under the guise of being a non-partisan political group.
This GOP wolf dressed in “equity feminist” clothing receives millions from ultra conservative organizations like the Koch Network, the Bradley Foundation, ALEC, and The American Federation for Children.
Despite their front as a women’s organization, a study of the group conducted before Citizens United obscured this, demonstrated that 89% percent of donors “were not women but actually wealthy white men.”
IWF members receive significant airtime posing as “the other side” to what they vilify as “radical feminism.” They do this without revealing their connection to right-wing talking points, GOP candidates, and strict anti-feminist policies that include a near singular aim to crush reproductive freedom through judicial appointments.
The impact they have had on popular policies concerning reproductive freedom, paid leave, federally subsidized childcare, the Equality Act, the Equal Rights Amendment, and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act will be with us for generations to come.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
We need to expose billionaire right-wing sources tearing apart popular legislation about reproductive freedom, universal healthcare, federally subsidized child care, and more year after year in this country. Let’s make dark money public and keep private lives private.
ACTION 3: GOOD TROUBLE
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
Join the nationwide abortion rally May 14.
Find out more about Indivisible Oregon here.
TUESDAY 11:30am-12:30pm LETTER WRITING PARTY - INDIVISIBLE OREGON:
https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/442887/Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday.
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Demand that your primary news source stop creating false equivalencies and just report the truth.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
Rally inconsisent Democratic voters to vote in 2022 with Progressive Turnout Project | Feb, 2022 | Medium
FURTHER READING:
Mothers Want Federally Funded Childcare. Why Are These Koch-Funded Women Opposing It? - Ms. Magazine
Meet the ‘Feminists’ Doing the Koch Brothers’ Dirty Work | The Nation
What Is Dark Money? 5 Questions Answered | Columbia Law School
ALEC, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Kochs: Inside the World of Secret Money - CitizenVox
