House Dems launch scorecard hitting GOP on women’s issues

by Alexandra Jaffe - 08/26/14 8:02 AM ET

House Democrats are launching a new campaign targeting 10 Republican candidates and incumbents they deem the “worst of the worst” offenders on women’s issues via a scorecard that highlights their positions on a range of female-friendly legislation.

{mosads}The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee scorecard, shared first with The Hill and housed at GOPFailsWomenScorecard.com, outlines candidates’ positions on issues ranging from equal pay to transvaginal ultrasounds to overturning Roe v. Wade.

Each Republican listed gets a mark showing he’s either taken a position on the issue, or is “backed by Republicans who have supported this dangerous agenda.”

“Whether it’s voting to force women to undergo invasive trans-vaginal ultrasounds, making women pay more for healthcare or even undermining protections for domestic violence victims, these offenders constitute the worst of the worst,” the website declares.

It includes GOP candidates Barbara Comstock, in Virginia’s 10th District, David Young, in Iowa’s 3rd District, Tom MacArthur, in New Jersey’s 3rd District, Jeff Gorell, in California’s 26th District, Bob Dold, in Illinois’s 10th District and Frank Guinta, in New Hampshire’s 1st District, as well as Reps. Mike Coffman (Colo.) Michael Grimm (N.Y.), Steve Southerland (Fla.) and Tim Walberg (Mich.).

Democrats have historically seen a sizeable advantage with female voters, and their continued success with that voting bloc will be key as they seek to narrow Republicans’ 17-seat majority in the fall. Indeed, nearly all of the districts listed are swing districts where the candidates are facing female Democratic opponents, or where women’s’ issues have taken center stage in the race.

For instance, the candidate at the top of the list, Comstock, has sought to make a play for female voters in recent days following her Democratic opponent John Foust’s comments questioning whether Comstock “even had a real job,” which Republicans have deemed sexist.

“Our healthcare choices, equal pay for equal work, and even protections for domestic violence victims are under constant threat from House Republicans and candidates, but some candidates like Barbara Comstock have records that are even worse than their colleagues,” said the DCCC’s Emily Bolton in a statement.

“While House Republicans and candidates continue their unrelenting mission to undermine women’s economic security, they’re forgetting one very important fact: women will play a deciding role in this election — and Republicans will be forced to defend their anti-woman agenda in November.”

But Republicans hit back, with National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andrea Bozek accusing Democrats of using women as “political pawns” to distract from issues with ObamaCare.

2024 Election Coverage

“Here Democrats go again trying to use women as political pawns. This is just another desperate attempt to cover up their support of ObamaCare which has caused families to lose access to their doctors and increased premiums,” she said in an email.

—This piece was updated at 10:30 a.m. to reflect comment from the NRCC.