Shelley Adler For Congress

(MARLTON) – Shelley Adler, candidate for Congress (NJ-03), today blasted Congressman Runyan for his radical agenda that denies women access to preventive healthcare services, including mammograms, prenatal care and contraception.  Congressman Runyan even sided with the extremists in Washington that tried to redefine rape.

“Congressman Runyan has one of the most abysmal voting records in Congress on issues impacting women’s health care.  Runyan voted to deny women access to preventive healthcare services that included mammograms, cancer screenings, prenatal care and contraception.  Congressman Runyan sponsored legislation that would allow employers broad discretion to deny women basic preventive healthcare services without any reason and even attempted to redefine rape.  Congressman Runyan has a reckless and radical record that would endanger the lives of women throughout our nation, ” said Shelley Adler.

“Often I tell my own children that actions speak louder than words. Congressman Runyan’s radical actions speak loudly to women devastated by his harmful agenda that denies access to critical life-saving preventive healthcare,” concluded Shelley Adler.

Shelley Adler is vying to become the first Congresswoman from New Jersey in more than a decade and the first to ever represent South Jersey or the Jersey Shore in the United States House of Representatives.

Background

Congressman Runyan Voted for an Amendment that Would Strip Funding for Contraception, Family Planning Assistance, Cancer Screenings, HIV Counseling and Other Medical Services. A New York Times editorial pointed out that Republicans’ assault on women’s health would deny millions of women access to affordable contraception and life-saving cancer screening, as well as cut nutritional support for millions of newborn babies. [New York Times, Editorial, 2/25/11]  The amendment passed, 240-185. [HR 1, Pence amendment #11, Vote #93, 2/18/11]

Congressman Runyan Voted for Legislation to Redefine Rape. Under the language proposed in HR 3, rape becomes “forcible rape.” The Washington Post reported that the bill’s critics believed “the modifier could distinguish it from other kinds of sexual assault that are typically recognized as rape, including statutory rape and attacks that occur because of drugs or verbal threats.” [Washington Post, 2/01/11] The bill passed 251-175. [HR 3, Vote #292, 5/04/11]

Congressman Runyan Co-sponsored an Amendment that Would Provide Broad Discretion to Employers when Denying Women Access to Healthcare Services. [HR 1179, Co-sponsors, accessed 5/21/12; HR 1179, CRS Summary, 3/17/11]

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