Senator Harry Reid on American Values that Honor Americans: A Common-Ground Approach to Preventing Unintended Pregnancies

July 31, 2006, 12:00am – 1:15pm

About This Event

In a summer that has seen leaders in Washington try to divide America through fear and divisive issues like gay marriage and flag burning, Senator Reid will talk about his vision to bring America together around the values all Americans share. Senator Reid, a Democrat who opposes abortion, will pay particular attention to an issue too often used to divide and conquer - abortion - and talk about how we can all support common-sense, common-ground approaches that put prevention of unintended pregnacy and promotion of women's health first.

Senator Reid speaks at the Center for American Progress Action Fund

Featured Speaker:
U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)

Opening Remarks by:
John D. Podesta, President & CEO, Center for American Progress Action Fund

Introduction by:
Melody Barnes, Executive Vice President for Policy, Center for American Progress Action Fund

Location

Center for American Progress
1333 H St. NW
Washington, DC 20005

Resources

Video

Biographies

Harry Reid is the Democratic Leader in the U.S. Senate, a man who commands the respect of colleagues from both parties, and a powerful advocate for Nevada's middle-class families. Since Nevadans elected him to the Senate in 1986, Harry Reid has developed a reputation as a consensus builder and a skillful legislator. Even his Republican colleagues praise his reasoned, balanced approach. Reid enjoys a close working relationship with Nevada's junior U.S. Senator, Republican John Ensign. Despite the fact that they belong to different political parties, they share a commitment to Nevada families and businesses. In fact, Senators Reid and Ensign co-host a weekly breakfast in the U.S. Capitol every Thursday that the Senate is in session, and Nevadans visiting Washington D.C. are always welcome. After Nevadans re-elected Reid to a third Senate term in 1998, he was chosen by his colleagues to serve as the Assistant Democratic Leader, also known as the "Whip." And after he won a fourth term in 2004 by a wide margin, he was unanimously elected Senate Democratic Leader.

John D. Podesta is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for American Progress Action Fund and visiting Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. From October 1998 until January 2001, Podesta served as Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton, where he was responsible for directing Congressional relations and staff activities of the White House. He coordinated the work of cabinet agencies with a particular emphasis on the development of federal budget and tax policy, and served in the President's Cabinet and as a Principal on the National Security Council. Podesta has also held a number of positions on Capitol Hill including: Counselor to former Democratic Leader Senator Tom Daschle; Chief Minority Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks, and Security and Terrorism; and Counsel on the Majority Staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Podesta is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and Knox College.

Melody Barnes is the Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund where she coordinates and helps to integrate all of the Center’s policy work, from the policy departments, fellows, and the Center's network of outside policy experts. From December 1995 until March 2003, Ms. Barnes served as chief counsel to Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee. As Senator Kennedy’s chief counsel, she shaped civil rights, women’s health and reproductive rights, commercial law, and religious liberties laws, as well as executive branch and judicial appointments. Ms. Barnes’ experience also includes an appointment as Director of Legislative Affairs for the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and serving as assistant counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights. During her tenure with the Subcommittee, she worked closely with Members of Congress and their staffs to pass the Voting Rights Improvement Act of 1992, which was signed into law. s. Barnes began her career as an attorney with Shearman & Sterling in New York City and is a member of both the New York State Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Constitution Project, EMILY’s List, The Maya Angelou Public Charter School, and The Moriah Fund. She received her law degree from the University of Michigan and her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she graduated with honors in history.