by Pennsylvania NOW President, Dr. Nina Ahmad

Here is the underlying reasoning around why Pennsylvania NOW PAC recommended to the NOW PAC that they endorse Conor Lamb for the open Senate seat in Pennsylvania. THE FINAL DECISION to endorse in federal races is made by the NOW PAC. Please keep in mind that women comprise 51% of our state’s population and yet we have no woman candidate and the political backlash against women and their issues is virulent. Therefore, PA NOW believes that Conor Lamb for Senate is the best choice for the majority female population in our state and for our country based on his record regarding women and issues that impact women as well as his engagement with the PA NOW PAC.

“Women’s Rights are Human Rights” and bodily autonomy is an inextricable part of these very fundamental rights. Women’s well-being whether in healthcare access or economic equality are in serious peril today. The current Supreme Court composition could overturn Roe v. Wade. Legal and cultural discrimination for generations continue to leave more women than men in economically precarious situations. Regaining definitive Democratic control of the US Senate is critical and therefore, this Pennsylvania open seat is vital. We carefully reviewed and interviewed any candidate who sought our endorsement (Fetterman did not participate in our process and Arkoosh dropped out before our final decision) and determined that Conor Lamb had a proven record and support for our issues. Here are some examples of this record and commitment that we heard Lamb articulate during his interview with us.

As a Marine prosecutor, Lamb took on cover-ups of sexual assault in the Corps, both on Okinawa and at the Naval Academy. In a high-profile case in 2017, he prosecuted and convicted a Marine officer who for six years maintained he was innocent and had lied under oath and to The Washington Post about a sexual misconduct case. Lamb revealed that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service failed to properly investigate the case. Lamb’s prosecution also led to a judicial ethics board investigation into the case’s previous prosecutor, who was an appellate judge at the time.

Lamb shared with us how he acutely he felt the imbalance of power women encounter routinely, when he prosecuted sexual assault cases in the military. How hard it was to prosecute sexual assault cases where most of the victims were women and the defendants and jury were men and of mostly of higher rank than that of the victims. Those cases were very difficult to win, and it afforded him an opportunity to understand the perspective of women in arenas dominated by men.

Lamb was asked what if a woman’s right to choose was not the law of the land, what would he believe. He said he thinks it is a fundamental right of a woman to choose. He said people have forgotten that we could end this abortion controversy by legislation. He is a co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021, that does just that.

Lamb is a member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus in the House, and was proud to vote for the Black Maternal Health “Momnibus” in the Build Back Better Act, a package of 12 bills to provide unprecedented funding and support to help end the black maternal health crisis in America. He will work to pass this into law in the Senate, and to continue learning more about this issue and what else our government can do to end this crisis.

In 2018, Republicans chastised Congressmember Lamb for opposing the Republican 2017 tax reform bill. Lamb ran in opposition to the law, describing it as a “giveaway” to large corporations and a “betrayal” of middle-class Americans. He understands that women’s participation in the workforce has made the key difference for middle-class families and more vulnerable families on the brink. Hence it is also imperative to promote policies that support families where they live, work, and play such as work flexibility, paid family and medical leave, and child care.

That unions are the gateway to a strong middle class is underscored by his role in the Tax Fairness for Workers Act, legislation that would make the tax deduction for union dues above-the-line (available for everyone, even if they don’t itemize deductions) and reinstate the tax deduction for unreimbursed employee expenses. The Center for American Progress highlighted Senator Casey’s and Representative Lamb’s proposal in their report on the top 3 pro-labor tax provisions for the Biden Administration to consider.

PA NOW as well as our national organization is committed to six core issues which are: Economic Justice, Reproductive Justice, Gender Equality/Gay Rights, Combatting Racism, Ending Rape Culture and Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women, and Constitutional Equality. Our PAC is guided by these principles. We welcome any of your members to join our organization but more immediately, we hope you will prioritize women’s issues as you move through your own endorsement deliberations and deciding for whom you will vote in the May 17, 2022 Primary.

To reiterate, women’s right to choose is seriously at risk. Women’s healthcare which is coupled with economic well-being, must not be made into a political and ideological football. Congressman Conor Lamb’s record is evidence of his strong support for women’s rights and Pennsylvania NOW looks forward to partnering with him when he is elected to the Senate.