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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday marshaled a key constituency in her push to protect entitlements: women.

“We know firsthand the impact of changes in Medicare,” said Pelosi, flanked by 14 other Democratic women. “We know it because we are women and caregivers and we know it because of the people we represent. We know it because of the special interest we have taken in this bedrock of security for women and families in our country.”

Several lawmakers pointed out that women tend to live longer than men, and are usually the primary caregivers in families – making their dependency on key social programs that much more urgent.

WASHINGTON (MNI) – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Tuesday said she is committed to a “balanced bipartisan approach” in dealing with Medicare and Social Security cuts, and that cutting benefits in these programs would have very negative effects on the nation’s elderly.

Pelosi and other Democratic congresswomen criticized Republican goals for Medicare and Social Security, saying they would hurt struggling communities like senior citizens and especially women.
“Without Social Security more than half of women over the age of 65 would fall into poverty,” Pelosi said at a news conference.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), added that “women cannot afford cuts in their benefits,” and that “Social Security cuts should not even be on the table at this time.”
Schakowsy went on to add, “Republicans want to cut Medicare and Social Security and not touch the million and billionaires.”

The Milwaukee region should improve its transportation connections, consider a new air cargo facility near General Mitchell International Airport and work together as a region to take advantage of economic development potential near the airport, according to a new study presented Tuesday.

Milwaukee Aerotropolis Corp., a public-private partnership, held a presentation and press conference Tuesday about how to create an “aerotropolis” around the airport that will help attract businesses, jobs and investment to the south side of Milwaukee and the surrounding suburbs. The corporation is a joint effort of the Airport Gateway Business Association, eight municipalities surrounding the airport, Milwaukee County and the state.

MILWAUKEE — U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore is fighting against looming cuts to hunger programs.

Moore joined members of the Hunger Task Force to talk to a group of seniors at Northcott Neighborhood House on Thursday morning.

The congresswoman urged the crowd to contact Wisconsin Sens. Herb Kohl and Ron Johnson to stop them from passing an agriculture spending bill.

The measure would cut $38 million from the Stockbox program. Stock boxes are monthly food deliveries to low-income families.

The state is blocking plans by the Milwaukee Health Department and University Health Services in Madison to apply for federal grants that would provide about $27.5 million for health programs designed to promote healthier lifestyles and reduce chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Dennis Smith, secretary of the state Department of Health Services, contends that the programs would duplicate services already being offered in Wisconsin.
“Why are we asking for taxpayers’ money for stuff that we are already doing?” he asked. “How long have people been doing tobacco cessation, for heaven’s sake? This is stuff that goes on all the time.”

A bipartisan group of six Members of the House of Representatives today released a joint letter calling for a reduction in U.S. military spending by scaling back worldwide military commitments. The letter was signed by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Congressman John Campbell (R-CA), Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ), Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI), and Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX).

The six Members will now circulate the letter in the House of Representatives, asking other Members to co-sign the letter before it is finalized and sent to the President as well as House and Senate leaders.

The National Soldiers Home Historic District in Milwaukee was recently named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The National Soldiers Home was created in 1867, just after the Civil War, under the authorization of President Abraham Lincoln. The 90-acre campus, located near Miller Park and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, was built to provide care and a place of solitude for U.S. war veterans. Several historic buildings remain at the campus, which is owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, maintenance has been deferred on many of the buildings and they are in poor condition. The Ward Memorial Hall building is in imminent danger of collapse and one portion of the roof of the Old Main building collapsed when a roof truss gave way under the weight of snow, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

This afternoon Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) re-introduced the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA currently has 160 co-sponsors in the House, including Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI), Chair of the Congressional Women’s Caucus.

Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal spoke at a press conference today announcing the bill’s re-introduction, stating, “Women and men deserve and need full equal rights. Without constitutional equality, too many women, and thereby too many families, are cheated. Americans overwhelmingly support constitutional equality. It is time- in fact, it’s long overdue- for us to move forward. That’s why the Feminist Majority and other women’s organizations are this year going to score co-sponsorship of the ERA as a yes vote for constitutional equality for women; failure to co-sponsor will be on record as a vote against women’s constitutional equality. It is simple as that-do you value women as full equal citizens under the law or not?” The National Organization for Women will also score whether or not a Member of Congress supports the ERA.

Madison — Democrats are demanding that state officials free up $89 million in federal unemployment benefits for more than 10,000 jobless Wisconsin workers.
In a letter, Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) called on the state’s Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council to send lawmakers a bill that would allow Wisconsin to offer thirteen more weeks of federally funded extended unemployment benefits to jobless workers, or up to 86 weeks. The benefits ended on April 16.

“It is outrageous for Wisconsin to turn down $89 million that will go into the pockets of unemployed people and then get spent in our economy. And this is money we don’t have to pay back,” Cullen said.

A newly released agenda for the advisory council’s Thursday meeting shows that the panel is scheduled to take up the issue.

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee site whose history dates back to President Abraham Lincoln is in danger.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated the Milwaukee Soldiers Home Historic District as one of the 11 most endangered historic places in 2011.

The 90-plus acre district is on the Clement Zablocki Medical Center grounds in Milwaukee. It was started as a recovery place for injured veterans, and was established in 1865.

Snow caused part of the roof on the main building to collapse this winter, leaving a gaping hole.