Stop the Eleventh-Hour Assault on Endangered Species

Target: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Sponsored by: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

It may be the eleventh hour of the Bush/Cheney Administration, but that's not stopping their efforts to undermine the Endangered Species Act.

The Administration wants to make serious changes to this landmark law that would eliminate some of the most important checks and balances that protect our polar bears, wolverines, whales and other imperiled wildlife. By striking at the very heart of this landmark conservation bill, these changes would severely limit interagency consultations and would prevent expert agencies from considering how greenhouse gas emissions affect endangered wildlife.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is only taking public comments on this proposal until October 15th – but we need to hear from you by Monday night so we can deliver your comments. Please speak out now for polar bears, wolves and the nearly 1,400 species currently protected under the Endangered Species Act!

Contraception Is Abortion?

Click here to sign an emergency message to the Department of Health and Human Services: "Contraception is NOT abortion. The Bush Administration's proposal to change the definition of abortion and reduce women's access to birth control must be stopped." Sign the petition In partnership with:

Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims.¹ Access to basic health care for millions of women would be jeopardized. And it's being pushed as a "rule change"—meaning, it doesn't need congressional approval.

Can you sign an emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change right now? Tell him: "Contraception is NOT abortion. The Bush Administration's proposal to change the definition of abortion and reduce women's access to birth control must be stopped."

Click here to add your name to this message.

The best way to beat back this proposal is to show Secretary Leavitt massive public outrage—that's why today we're launching this petition jointly with Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Together, we'll deliver every signature to Leavitt. You can help add to our momentum by forwarding this message to friends.

Here's what some others are saying about this proposal:

The draft regulation would define birth control as abortion...it could deny access to critical family planning for women across the country.—Letter signed by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and 26 other senators.²

The draft rule could void laws in 27 states that require insurance companies to provide birth control coverage for women requesting it [and] laws in 14 states requiring that rape victims receive counseling and access to emergency, day-after contraceptives.—Houston Chronicle editorial³

The administration needs to stop playing word games with women's health and state clearly they will reject any regulations that will undermine women's access to basic health care.—Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.⁴

[It's] a spectacular act of complicity with the religious right... —RH Reality Check, Information and Analysis for Reproductive Health⁵

The birth control pill, the IUD, and emergency contraception might all become unavailable—illegal—as a result.—Brigid Riley, executive director of a Minnesota teen pregnancy prevention organization⁶

Can you help send a loud message to Secretary Leavitt that birth control is NOT abortion? Clicking here will sign your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/?r_by=13468-9390789-FpKtJ4x&rc=comment_paste

Thanks for all you do.

This message was provided by MoveOn.org. Want to support their work? They're entirely funded by their 3.2 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And their tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Californians: Take Action! Vote No On Prop 8!

Prop 8 would re-write our California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California -- denying gays and lesbians the respect, dignity and responsibility that come with marriage.

The ''Vote No on Prop 8, Equality for All" campaign urges you to vigorously oppose this initiative by voting No on 8 on November 4th.

There are so many reasons Prop 8 is wrong for California. Denying a specific group of people access to the same freedoms and rights others enjoy is, quite simply, un-Californian.

Our California Constitution -- the guiding document of our great state -- promises the same basic rights and freedoms to everyone. In our Constitution, no one group can be singled out for unfair treatment.

Equal protection under the law is a founding principle of the United States of America. Prop 8 undermines that principle, and singles out a single group of people -- gays and lesbians -- for unequal treatment under the law.

Like the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech, the freedom to marry is fundamental to our society. Marriage allows couples to make legal their lifetime commitment to one another, and gives couples the opportunity to fully take responsibility for each other.

Regardless of how you feel about marriage -- for straight or gay and lesbian couples -- it’s wrong to single out one group of Americans and prevent them from having access to the same rights and responsibilities as their fellow citizens.

Please join us -- and our broad and diverse coalition members by vowing to Vote No on Prop 8. Protecting the freedom to marry is about upholding the ideals of equality, freedom and fairness for all.

Taken from the www.noonprop8.com website. No rights are claimed to this text.

To do even more, sign the Million for Marriage petition. Defend the progress that's been made and have your voice heard. ( 1,010,642 have signed already! )

Special thanks goes to Ashley for this alert!