Michelle Obama Addresses Women for Obama Lunch Reception

Unveils Campaign Blueprint Emphasizing Senator Obama's Commitment to Strengthening Women and Families

Chicago, IL – Michelle Obama addressed a gathering of Women for Obama in Chicago on Monday, where she shared her experiences on the campaign trail, and discussed why she believes her husband, Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, is the right leader to support women and their families and enact policies to help them to reclaim the American Dream.

In conjunction with today's luncheon, the campaign today unveiled a 12-page Blueprint for America's Working Women and Families, detailing Senator Obama's agenda to help women balance work and family, to keep themselves and their families healthy, and to prosper in a changing economy.

Senator Obama's plan to support working women and families will:

Fight for Pay Equity: Throughout his career, Barack Obama has championed the right of women to receive equal pay for equal work. As president, Obama will continue working to close the wage gap between men and women.

Expand Paid Sick Days to 22 Million Working Women: Today, over 22 million working women do not have paid sick days.  As president, Obama will require that employers provide seven paid sick days per year.

Expand Flexible Work Arrangements: Working parents, especially mothers, often have to juggle not only child care responsibilities, but also care responsibilities for elderly relatives.  Barack Obama will address this concern by creating a program to inform businesses about the benefits of flexible work schedules for productivity and establishing positive workplaces; helping businesses create flexible work opportunities; and increasing federal incentives for telecommuting.

Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers, including more than 71 million women, and their families the tax relief they need. Obama will create a new “Making Work Pay” tax cut of up to $500 per worker, or $1,000 per working family.
Ensure All Americans Have Access to Affordable Health Insurance:  Obama will sign a health care reform plan into law by the end of his first term in office. His plan will provide affordable, quality health care coverage for every American.

“Barack doesn't accept an America that forces women to choose between their children and their careers, that pays women less money for equal work. The challenges facing women and families aren't new to any of us. They're not new to me, and they certainly aren't new to my husband,” Michelle Obama said.  “That's why as President, he will fight to empower and support women and families, because he wouldn't be running for President today without the strong women in his life.”

Michelle was also joined today by her mother, Mrs. Marian Robinson, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, and chef and author Alice Waters. “I think everyone in this room knows who our next President is going to be. And it's one of the greatest privileges of my life to share a platform with his First Lady. I can't imagine a better role model or a better leader to help us bring about the change we need. From her own work, and from her own experience as a mother, she knows what's at stake for the next generation,” said Waters.

Michelle Obama kicked off Women for Obama in Chicago in April 2007. The group has since grown into a nationwide network of tens of thousands of women engaged in direct, women-to-women grassroots and online organizing and fundraising efforts to support Senator Obama.   Throughout the primary, the group has played a key role in Senator Obama's campaign.  From Maine to California, Women for Obama members focus on peer to peer outreach to help women learn more about Senator Obama and his background, and inform one another about where he stands on the issues that matter most to women and families.

In the coming months, Women for Obama will continue to lead outreach activities across the country including:

>Register thousands of women to vote in communities coast to coast

>Launch a national women-to-women General Election phone bank

>Organize thousands of house parties to bring women together to talk about issues that impact them and  learn more about Senator Obama

>Coordinate online policy forums to outline Senator Obama's record on issues women care about

>Host town hall events in states across the country with women leaders to talk about Senator Obama's record and vision for women and families

>Recruit  women to travel and volunteer in key battleground states

>More information, including tools to engage women online, organize house parties, and encourage voter registration, can be found via http://barackobama.com/women.

Beyond the web, through the course of the campaign, Michelle Obama has hosted working women's roundtables across the country to talk about the challenges uniquely facing women and families and how we can integrate those concerns into effective policies. Recently, Obama has focused her attention on military spouses, who juggle family and work while serving right along with  their loved ones deployed overseas.

“We are all united because we know the importance of women's voices and votes in this election cannot be understated.  We will decide the outcome.  And our vote is only growing  in 2000, 52% of voters were women.  In 2004, we made up 54%.  This year, we'll be even more. That's why Women for Obama and your involvement in it is so important,” said Michelle Obama.