“These are challenging times for all Americans, but there are several indicators that suggest that women have been disproportionately burdened by the recession. It is well-documented that women earn significantly less money than men in the workplace — working women make about $0.78 for every $1 a man earns. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, last month men gained 136,000 jobs while women lost 19,000. We cannot afford to deny women critical benefits and services in the name of fiscal responsibility. These actions would be anything but responsible.”