Happy Mother's Day

by Jeff Merkley

5
Supporters 675
Raised $
 

Every day on the campaign trail I am talking with Oregonians about how we change this country. One morning last week, I received a message from an old friend, Sybil Ackerman. Sybil and I worked closely during the 2007 Legislative Session. As a lead advocate for Oregon’s environmental activists, she and I championed the most ambitious environmental agenda in the nation in 2007. It was nice to find a note at the campaign office from Sybil, telling me that their 3 year old son Cody had a surprise he wanted to share with me.
Here’s the message I received from Sybil:


Cody, my son, was quietly working with his chalk on the sidewalk today. I was up on the porch reading the paper. He called me down to see his final work proudly. I think this is the very first time I can remember him writing a whole word without asking me about it at all – he copied it from the lawn sign on his own initiative. Notice he has his name under Jeff’s as well – I wonder what that means?


With Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday, I decided to share this message and picture with you as a reminder of the love and support our mothers and others give to our lives. They are the pillars that support strong families and allow us to thrive as individuals and as a society.
As a U.S. Senator, I promise to always fight for the well-being of our women and our families, taking the legislation I championed last year in Oregon and fighting to make it happen on a national level.

• I’ll fight to give women greater access to affordable contraceptives like we did here in Oregon.


• I’ll take on predatory payday lenders, like I did in Oregon, to end the unscrupulous loan-sharking that can lead financially vulnerable families into poverty.


• I’ll fight for paid family and sick leave for our nation’s working parents.


• And unlike Gordon Smith, I will ALWAYS protect a woman’s right to choose.

I’m I’m proud to have the endorsement of Planned Parenthood and to have a 100% lifetime approval rating from NARAL. I am also honored to have the endorsement of Governor Barbara Roberts, a powerful and tenacious advocate of a woman’s right to choose.


If you have not yet taken the opportunity to support my campaign, I hope you will do so now. I appreciate your support and look forward to fighting for you in the U.S. Senate.


I hope to take some time away from the campaign trail this weekend to celebrate mother’s day with my wife Mary, and my mother Betty. I hope you all have the opportunity to spend time with the women in your lives.


Happy Mother’s Day,
Jeff Merkley