Ryan budget puts women's economic progress at risk

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), balancing the budget on the backs of women and families is not the right course for the future of America.

It's hard to imagine after all of the blood, sweat and tears shed by women over the last hundred years ‒ as we inched closer and closer to economic parity and security ‒ that Rep. Ryan and the Republican House leadership would think women would just give up our hard fought gains so that large corporations and the ultra rich can keep their special treatment and unfair tax breaks.

The Ryan budget attacks women's economic security at every level.  It attacks women as workers by assuring the destruction of millions of jobs. It pushes down our gross domestic product thereby lowering consumer spending and devastating women-owned Main Street businesses. It extends the grossly unfair tax cuts and loopholes for big business and the ultra rich leaving women-owned firms trying to compete on an unfair playing field.

The Ryan budget attacks women as caregivers by undermining the economic security provided by Medicaid and Medicare -- setting up a chain reaction that will send aging parents into the homes of their children forcing women to leave their jobs to care for their parents. And it even attacks women as mothers by slashing the most basic of safety nets for children's food, nutrition and healthcare.

Job destruction, loss of access to affordable healthcare, restoring healthcare cost prejudice, extending unfair tax advantages for the ultra rich, slashing Pell Grants which support access to quality education and drive future earnings ‒ this is the Ryan Budget's "Path to Prosperity." 

As a leader for the future of women's economic security, I am deeply alarmed at the direction of our economic debate. Surely, Rep. Ryan knows that women will not sit still and passively allow him to attack our economic well-being, tear apart the gains and the status women have built in the workforce, as mothers, as employers and as caregivers without a fight.

The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce stands strongly opposed to Mr. Ryan's Budget and the Republican leadership's economic assault on women and families and calls upon Congress to oppose this budget. 

Dorfman is CEO of the  U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce.

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