Washington – AAUW's top public policy adviser Lisa Maatz will be available for comment on President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address set for Wednesday, January 27. To set up an interview, please contact Lisa Goodnight at (202) 785-7738 or goodnightl@aauw.org.
Maatz works to advance AAUW's priority issues on Capitol Hill, through the executive branch, and in coalition with other organizations. Her grassroots advocacy career began when she was executive director of Turning Point, a battered women's program recognized for excellence by the Ohio Supreme Court. Maatz's areas of expertise include education, Title IX, retirement security, pay equity, work/life issues, and other civil rights issues related to women and girls.
On January 13, AAUW released The Obama Administration's First Year: A Progress Report on AAUW Priority Issues, available at www.aauw.org. The report delves into issues of pay equity, job security, reproductive rights, education, and work-life balance. The administration's first-year successes include the launch of Educate to Innovate, a campaign to improve math and science education; the confirmation of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina and third woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court; and the creation of the White House Council on Women and Girls, which keeps issues related to gender equity at the forefront of the executive branch.
AAUW was disappointed with the Obama administration's lack of public support for the Paycheck Fairness Act and silence over the Stupak amendment to the health care reform bill, as well as their support for continued federal funding for private school vouchers. AAUW is further concerned with the administration's surprisingly slow pace on judicial and executive branch nominations; the Senate's advice and consent role notwithstanding, the administration must take a stronger stand with respect to filling these vital positions.
