U.S. Congresswomen Discuss Women’s Issues
U.S. Congresswomen Discuss Women’s Issues
U.S. House Representatives Pat Schroeder (D-CO), Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH), Corinne Claiborne “Lindy” Boggs (D-LA), and Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY) discussing “Women’s Issues” within context of the Jobs Bill and Social Security payouts. Ferraro and Schroeder discuss concerns with potential deficiencies in jobs bill. Ferraro thinks that for the women supporting families, bill doesn't give them "their piece of the pie." Schroeder states message being sent out is that "filling pot holes is the most important thing and maybe home health care should be at least as high a level." Oakar adds you don't want to pit unemployed man against unemployed woman, cites Bureau of Labor Statistics that in households with an unemployed man, the woman is just as likely to be unemployed. She turns to issue concerning her: delay in cost of living adjustment noted in Social Security Commission Report, which would cost elderly women a large amount of income, put pressure on the poor; Rep. Barbary Bailey Kennelly (D-CT) joins meeting.
U.S. Congresswomen Discuss Women’s Issues
U.S. House Representatives Pat Schroeder (D-CO), Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH), Corinne Claiborne “Lindy” Boggs (D-LA), Barbary Bailey Kennelly (D-CT), Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY), and U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) continue meeting. Kassebaum states a certain group of people "who are entirely dependent on Social Security" will not be affected by delay in standard of living adjustment. Oakar asks why not; Kassebaum answers that changes to Supplemental Social Security Income will provide extra $30 a month. Rep. Oakar responds that statistically most elderly people don't apply for SSI, that while new regulations provide extra income, less people are eligible for it. Oakar states it comes out to a permanent loss for older women, floats solution of 2 week delay for 10 years, prompting Rep. Ferraro and Schroeder to talk about strategy and how much time they have as the bill goes through Congress.
U.S. Congresswomen Discuss Women’s Issues
U.S. House Representatives Pat Schroeder (D-CO), Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH), Corinne Claiborne “Lindy” Boggs (D-LA), Barbary Bailey Kennelly (D-CT), Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY), and U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) continue meeting. Rep. Oakar states that as the bill goes through Congressional committees for markup, regulations surrounding Supplemental Social Security Income shouldn't be promoted. Ferraro states they should take strong position against all budget cuts, lays out plan where they fight for their interests in Social Security benefits and jobs bill before attacking budget cuts. Schroeder asks when budget is being brought up, has a look of disbelief when one confirms it will happen before Easter. Ferrero, off camera, talks about hearings where the Pentagon wants their budget increase and won't cut a cent, creating problems for both political parties; Rep. Boggs sitting quietly, listening.
U.S. Congresswomen Discuss Women’s Issues
U.S. House Representatives Pat Schroeder (D-CO), Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH), Corinne Claiborne “Lindy” Boggs (D-LA), Barbary Bailey Kennelly (D-CT), Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY), and U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) continue meeting. Rep. Kennelly states she "can't go home." Sen. Kassebaum asks her to clarify what she cannot do; Kennelly states she cannot vote for salary freeze on federal employees. Her colleagues note nothing is actually in the budget now, that these are just proposals from President Reagan, not all of which will make it onto the bill itself. Rep. Schroeder, off camera, discusses Department of Defense report highlighing downward trend and disparity between military and civilian federal employee salaries. Rep. Ferrero notes Chamber of Commerce suggestion to freeze salaries of federal employees for 1983-84 and small increase in 1985.
U.S. Congresswomen Discuss Women’s Issues
U.S. House Representatives Pat Schroeder (D-CO), Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH), Corinne Claiborne “Lindy” Boggs (D-LA), Barbary Bailey Kennelly (D-CT), Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY), and U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) continue meeting. Camera focuses on framed pictures of flowers on wall as Sen. Kassebaum relates her views about the size of the federal deficit. Rep. Ferrero acknowledges her argument, but pleads fairness; the military budget is still growing, tax cuts aren't being repealed, and price indexing isn't being touched. No one who makes over $1000,000 a year is complaining. As Sen. Kassebaum gets up to leave, she reminds them it was the Dems who cut the highest tax bracket from 70 to 50 percent, to which Rep. Ferrero takes full credit; Rep. Boggs follows her. Remaining Congresswomen chat joke with each other. They get up to leave.
Interview with U.S. House Representative Mary Rose Oakar
Off-screen adult female asks U.S. House Representative Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH) how women will be affected by new Social Security package. Oakar explains that whenever cuts are made to a program like Social Security, it will affect women because 60-65% of recipients are women. Women make less money, especially if they contribute to their marriage over chosen career. Divorcees are also discriminated against, and Oakar thinks "the Social Security system, while it's a great system, still hasn't lived up to the progress..." Rep. Oakar says the one-time delay in Social Security cost of living adjustment will have a dramatic negative effective on recipients, particularly women over 65. Oakar prefers scattered delay of month or 2 weeks for a period of 10 years, if there has to be a delay at all.
Interview with U.S. House Representative Mary Rose Oakar
Off-screen adult female asks U.S. House Representative Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH) if this was the logical time, as the Social Security system is being reformed, to address women's issues. Rep. Oakar agrees, states that every year she has introduced legislation to address inequities, chairs task force for Aging Committee on Social Security and Women. Oakar credits recommendations by current committee to correct issues with widows and divorcees. They are small issues, but ones that take Social Security reform in right direction. Oakar thinks there needs to be comprehensive reform, states she has gotten some commitments that if temporary reforms are enacted now, comprehensive reform toward correcting Social Security inequities toward women will be revisited. Oakar notes the last budget bill cut $22 billion dollars from Social Security, and women were most affected. Oakar sees budget cuts disproportionately affecting women more financially.
Interview with U.S. House Representative Mary Rose Oakar
Off-screen adult Caucasian female asks U.S. House Representative Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH) if women's groups have mobilized to lobby for Social Security as effectively as for other issues concerning women. Rep. Oakar wishes women's groups would do more to highlight the economic injustice affecting elderly female population. Young women should pay attention as they eventually become older. Oakar believes older women have not been pooled into the women's movement because their needs have not been addressed. More could be done, and Oakar includes herself. Rep. Oakar believes women's groups will realize this oversight and correct it, though there are many inequities with regards to the sexes that it's understandable some issues get overlooked. Interview ends.