Off the Sidelines

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Off the Sidelines
Basic facts
Location:	Washington, D.C.
Affiliation:	Democratic
Founder(s):	Kirsten Gillibrand
Year founded:	2012
Website:	Official website

Off the Sidelines is a women's empowerment program and leadership PAC led by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). The group describes itself as "Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's call to action to encourage every woman and girl to make their voice heard on the issues they care about."

Work

The Off the Sidelines campaign was launched by Gillibrand in 2012 to encourage more women to get involved in politics and advocacy. She said at the time that, "I want to make it a call to action — asking women first and foremost to vote; second, being an advocate on the issues they care about; third, holding their lawmakers accountable on their priorities; and then hoping to get a few more to run."

The group's website lists the following as its issues. Click "show" on the boxes below to read more about its positions.

MILITARY JUSTICE IMPROVEMENT ACT

"The Problem The Pentagon estimates that in 2014, there were approximately 19,000 incidents of unwanted sexual contact, sexual assault and rape throughout the U.S. military. That’s an average of 52 assaults a day. Of those, only 4,660 were unrestricted reports. In other words, 75 percent of survivors didn’t feel comfortable enough in the system to come forward and report the incident. And of those that did report, only a paltry 587 saw their case proceed to trial, and 62% experienced retaliation for coming forward, a number that remains unchanged from 2012. In fact, according to one recent independent report, someone who reports is 12x more likely to be retaliated against than see an assailant held accountable. As survivors of sexual assault tell us over and over, the reason they don’t report is that they fear retaliation and they don’t trust the chain of command to bring the assailants to justice. In the current system, the commanding officer has the sole decision-making authority over whether a case goes to trial. This is wrong and must end. The Solution To end the epidemic of sexual assault in the military, there must be accountability for perpetrators and justice for survivors. Only then will victims have the confidence in the system to come forward and report these crimes. To accomplish this, Senator Gillibrand’s Military Justice Improvement Act would create an independent and impartial system of military justice by transferring prosecutorial authority from within the chain of command to an independent trained military prosecutor where it belongs. Our men and women in uniform deserve an independent and objective military justice system worthy of their service and sacrifice. Just look at the statistics In 2014, approximately 19,000 members of the U.S. military experienced unwanted sexual contact, essentially the same level as 2010. That means that every day there are an average of 52 unwanted sexual contacts, and these numbers have barely shifted in years. Of those nearly 19,000, only 4,660 were willing to report the crime in order to seek justice, meaning only 1 in 4 had confidence in the justice system. 62% of women who reported sexual assault in 2014 say they were retaliated against. This number has remained consistent since 2012 despite reforms purporting to make retaliation a crime. 76% of servicewomen, and nearly half of servicemen, say that sexual harassment is 'common' or 'very common.' Servicewomen who were sexually harassed were 1400% more likely to be sexually assaulted in the same year. In 60% of the cases, supervisors and unit leaders are the ones responsible for sexual harassment and gender discrimination"

THE OPPORTUNITY PLAN

"The Problem Over the last decade, while the definition of the American Dream hasn’t shifted, the opportunity to achieve it has. Income inequality is at a record high, college affordability is slipping away, and seniors are working longer for less. Contrary to the traditional American value of rewarding work, we have seen a significant decline in the purchasing power of the average worker’s paychecks relative to previous generations. Families are falling further and further behind, and the reality is both parents need to work to pay the bills. The Solution We have seen dramatic change in the makeup of our workforce with the dramatic increased participation of women, but the rules governing this new 21st Century reality have largely stayed the same. For instance, today, women make up roughly 50% of the workforce, and families rely on women as sole breadwinners more than ever before. Yet Congress has not kept up and updated the rules that govern our economy to reflect the changing reality of the workforce and the needs of our families. If our economy is going to thrive in the 21st Century, every woman must have the tools and opportunities to be given a fair shot of remaining in the workforce and achieving her full economic potential, contributing to her families’ financial security. That means: Paid Family & Medical Leave Raise the Minimum Wage Quality Affordable Childcare Universal Pre-K Equal Pay For Equal Work MOST OF THESE COMMONSENSE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT A PART OF THE POLITICAL CONVERSATION, BUT THEY SHOULD BE. AND WITH YOUR HELP THEY WILL BE Just look at the statistics Women continue to make just 77 cents on the dollar compared to what men earn, even less if you are African American or Latina. How can two-income families and sole female breadwinning households get ahead when they are getting shortchanged? Without a full-time parent caretaker, families with children under the age of 5 now must spend an average of 10.1 percent of their household budget on child-care. How can you keep earning a paycheck for your family when you can’t afford the child-care needed to get to work? Women represent 64% of minimum wage workers whose purchasing power adjusted for inflation is at a historic low. How can you move into the middle class when a full-time hardworking mother of two is living thousands of dollars below the poverty line? American women are earning more than half of all college degrees and advanced degrees in this country. How can America out-build, out-educate and out-innovate the global competition if American women aren’t empowered to thrive in this new economy? What is needed to rebuild our economy, reward Americans working full time and put our businesses on equal footing with global competitors is for our policies to catch up to today’s American families. One common sense place to start is by modernizing the American workplace for women with policies that reflect our values, that treat women equally, and allow them to earn their full economic potential."

CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT

"The Problem Each year, tens of thousands of women who attend college in the U.S. become survivors of sexual assault, yet colleges and universities lack any real incentive to investigate these incidents or comply with federal reporting standards. Under Title IX, colleges and universities have a legal obligation to provide an environment that is free from sexual harassment, which includes sexual violence; and the federal Clery Act requires disclosure of crime statistics to the federal government. However, due to little enforcement, it’s become commonplace for colleges and universities to under-report the cases of sexual assaults that occur on their campuses and ignore the problem. According to Senator Claire McCaskill’s 2014 survey, merely 59 percent of the colleges polled had initiated a sexual assault investigation in the last five years. That means 4 out of 10 schools claim they have had zero sexual assaults reported on their campus, which strains credibility. In the instances where a survivor does go through a disciplinary process, it is often done in a haphazard, unprofessional manner with untrained personnel and/or students being asked to consider serious accusations without the proper training. This process is unfair to both the accuser and the accused. The system is broken and we must fix it. The Solution A bipartisan coalition of Senators have introduced legislation to flip the incentives so that colleges and universities will protect students. The Campus Accountability and Safety Act (S.590/H.R.1310) will reform the way colleges and universities report and address cases of sexual assault so that survivors and the accused are treated fairly, students and staff understand their rights and responsibilities, and students and parents have access to new campus safety data. The legislation will: Increase Support Services to Empower Survivors Improve Training for Campus Personnel Standardize Disciplinary Proceedings Across Campuses – No more letting the athletic department handle charges against athletes Require Schools to be More Transparent & Require all Schools to Administer a Confidential Survey with the Results Published Online Hold Colleges and Universities Accountable for Addressing and Reporting Assault Cases Require Better Coordination With Local Law Enforcement Just look at the statistics In 2014 alone, colleges & universities reported nearly 6,700 forcible sex offenses to the U.S. Department of Education 41% of schools surveyed have not conducted an investigation of a sexual assault complaint in the last five years Only between 13 and 30% of students found “responsible” for sexual assault were permanently kicked off campus. 178 colleges and universities are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights for potential violations of federal law over the handling of sexual assault complaints Just 20% of completed and attempted sexual assaults of college students are reported to law enforcement Between 75% and 90% of sexual assault survivors are victimized by someone they know"

PAID FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE INSURANCE

"The Problem When American workers are forced to choose between a paycheck and their families, we all lose. In fact, families and businesses lose over $20 billion a year because the vast majority of workers do not have access to paid family leave to take care of a new child, sick spouse, or dying parent. Not only is this wrong, it makes no sense—especially when Congress’ priority should be growing our economy. The Solution Senator Gillibrand is leading the movement to create a national paid family leave program for all workers by introducing The FAMILY Act. This proposal would ensure that, for the cost of a cup of coffee a week, American workers could receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave—at 66 percent wage replacement—in the event of a serious personal or family medical emergency. The American people want Congress to work for them, by helping to create systems that provide economic security when life-events happen. America stands alone as the only developed country to not ensure this basic insurance. It’s time to update the rules for the 21st century. Opportunity Points The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 provides unpaid, job-protected leave, but only about half of the workforce qualifies, and many more cannot afford to take it because it is unpaid. As workers with care responsibilities withdraw from the workforce, they bring home less income, are less likely to earn raises and promotions, have more restricted access to retirement & SSI benefits and accumulate lower lifetime earnings Women are often the primary caregivers of infants, children, and elderly parents. We must make it easier for them to go in and out of the workforce so they can meet those family needs. No worker should have to choose between the families they love and the jobs they need."

RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE

"The Problem Contrary to common misperception, minimum wage workers are not just teenagers or college students working part time jobs for extra money. In fact, 88% of minimum wage workers are over 20 years old, and 86% work 20 hours or more. One-third of all single parents in America earn the minimum wage, and 64% of all minimum wage workers are women. At the current level of $7.25/hour, a full-time, year-round job leaves a woman with two children thousands of dollars below the poverty line, holding them back from earning their way into the middle class. The Solution The American economy should be based on the fundamental principle of rewarding work. That is why we need the Fair Minimum Wage Act to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. At this level, full time minimum wage workers would be able to rise above the poverty line and put those additional wages right back into the local economy creating more new jobs. This legislation would help 33 million American workers including 17 million women. Opportunity Points Low wage workers work on average 39.1 hours a week and 16 percent are working two or more jobs Raising the minimum wage also closes the gender wage gap: of the 10 states with the highest wage gaps between men and women, eight use the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Raising women’s hourly wages by 10 percent would lift nearly 1.3 million people out of poverty, including more than half a million children."

UNIVERSAL PRE-K

"The Problem One of the keys to a thriving middle class has always been a quality education, and that must start with early childhood education including Pre-K for every child. Quality early childhood education has been shown to be crucial to a child’s development and determinative of future success, yet it is out of reach for many low- and moderate- income families. The block a child grows up on should not determine his or her chances of success in life. The Solution For American families, Universal pre-K is an essential piece of the puzzle that not only allows their kids to get a good start, but it also allows mothers to remain on the job earning a paycheck and helping our economy grow. The Strong Start for America’s Children Act would fund a 10 year early childhood education initiative to expand early learning opportunities for children up to age 5. It would also expand early education by helping accelerate efforts at the state level to provide high-quality preschool to low and moderate income families and encourage local partnerships to increase the quality of infant and toddler care through the Early Head Start program. Opportunity Points The lowest-income and most disadvantaged children are the least likely to participate in pre-school programs. The block a child grows up on should not determine his or her chances of success in life. Pre-school produces a very high return on investment: a recent study of Chicago’s preschool program projected that it will generate up to '$11 of economic benefits over a child’s lifetime for every dollar spent initially on the program.'"

QUALITY AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE

"The Problem As more and more women serve as their family’s primary or co-breadwinner, it’s more important than ever to make quality daycare accessible so that women are empowered to stay in the workforce after having a child — and to pursue all possible opportunities for advancement. The current cost of child care is upwards of $6,700 a year, and for infants – it’s more than double that. Too many middle class families struggle to afford child care, which leaves too many working mothers with only one option: to leave her job and stay at home to care for her kids. That means less income for working families, more women leaving the workforce, and a weaker middle class. The Solution Congress needs to provide flexibility for different types of families to gain access to quality affordable child care. Under Senator Gillibrand’s proposal, families would have the option to deduct the cost of child care expenses as a business expense. Her plan also includes an expanded Child and Dependent Care Credit, allowing low income families with little to no tax liability, to have access to a fully refundable tax credit to help mitigate the cost of child care.The credit would also expand incentives for employers to provide their employees with quality child care. Opportunity Points Without a full-time parent care-taker, families with children under the age of 5 now spend an average of 10% of their household budget on child care. That rises to above 50% for low-income families. The average annual cost of infant care increased roughly 2% last year and ranged from about $4,600 in Mississippi to $15,000 in Massachusetts."

EQUAL PAY

"The Problem Yes, even in 2014, women systemically earn less than men for the same work. It is estimated today that on average, women make just 77 cents on the dollar compared to what men make. For women of color it’s even worse — African American women earn 69 cents on the dollar, and Latinas earn just 58 cents on that dollar. Even at the same job, with the same experience, and the same education, 40% of women earn less than their male counterparts. With more dual-income households than ever before, and more sole women breadwinners than ever before, when women workers get shortchanged their entire family and the American economy gets held back. The Solution We must close this systemic wage gap and treat women fairly by strengthening equal pay protections in the workplace and giving women the tools to fight for equal pay for equal work. To create a growing economy and a thriving middle class – one place to start is to simply pay women a dollar on the dollar with their male colleagues. If women earned equal pay, America’s GDP could grow by as much as 4 percent. It is time for Congress to finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would fulfill the promise of the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes that perpetuate wage discrimination, hold large corporations accountable for unjust wage practices, and empower working women to be appropriately and accurately compensated for their work. Opportunity Points According to U.S. Census data, women made just 77 cents on the dollar compared to men in 2012. Single women make just 57 cents on the dollar compared to what married men earn. Mothers earn about 7 percent less per child than childless women Much of the wage gap is due to the failure of our social institutions to adjust to reflect the reality of today’s families."

Political activity

The political action committee associated with the Off the Sidelines campaign, Off the Sidelines PAC, endorses female candidates for office and provides funding to support their campaigns.

Endorsements

2018

Ballotpedia has identified the following endorsements of 2018 federal candidates by Off the Sidelines PAC. To notify us of other endorsements, please email us.

Federal candidates endorsed by Off the Sidelines PAC, 2018
Candidate	Office	State
Veronica Escobar	U.S. House	Texas
Lizzie Pannill Fletcher	U.S. House	Texas
Sol Flores	U.S. House	Illinois
Sylvia Garcia	U.S. House	Texas
M.J. Hegar	U.S. House	Texas
Chrissy Houlahan	U.S. House	Pennsylvania
Betsy Londrigan	U.S. House	Illinois
Marie Newman	U.S. House	Illinois
Katie Porter	U.S. House	California
Rachel Reddick	U.S. House	Pennsylvania
Lillian Salerno	U.S. House	Texas
Lauren Underwood	U.S. House	Illinois

Candidate contributions

2018

Off the Sidelines PAC has made contributions to candidates for both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate in 2018. The table below lists its contributions, as reported by the money in politics tracking organization Center for Responsive Politics.

Contributions to federal candidates by Off the Sidelines PAC, 2018
Candidate	Office	State	Contribution amount
Alma Adams	U.S. House	North Carolina	$5,000
Mary Barzee Flores	U.S. House	Florida	$5,000
Kate Browning	U.S. House	New York	$5,000
Katherine Clark	U.S. House	Massachusetts	$1,000
Yvette Clarke	U.S. House	New York	$10,000
Veronica Escobar	U.S. House	Texas	$5,000
Lizzie Pannill Fletcher	U.S. House	Texas	$2,500
Sylvia Garcia	U.S. House	Texas	$5,000
Tamara Harris	U.S. House	New Jersey	$5,000
Chrissy Houlahan	U.S. House	Pennsylvania	$5,000
Robin Kelly	U.S. House	Illinois	$5,000
Ann Kirkpatrick	U.S. House	Arizona	$5,000
Annie Kuster	U.S. House	New Hampshire	$10,000
Susie Lee	U.S. House	Nevada	$5,000
Amy McGrath	U.S. House	Kentucky	$5,000
Grace Meng	U.S. House	New York	$10,000
Aruna Miller	U.S. House	Maryland	$5,000
Laura Moser	U.S. House	Texas	$2,500
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell	U.S. House	Florida	$5,000
Stephanie Murphy	U.S. House	Florida	$5,000
Marie Newman	U.S. House	Illinois	$5,000
Katie Porter	U.S. House	California	$5,000
Terri Sewell	U.S. House	Alabama	$10,000
Mikie Sherrill	U.S. House	New Jersey	$5,000
Louise Slaughter	U.S. House	New York	$10,000
Haley Stevens	U.S. House	Michigan	$5,000
Maura Sullivan	U.S. House	New Hampshire	$5,000
Niki Tsongas	U.S. House	Massachusetts	$1,000
Lauren Underwood	U.S. House	Illinois	$5,000
Nydia Velazquez	U.S. House	New York	$10,000
Tanzie Youngblood	U.S. House	New Jersey	$5,000
Tammy Baldwin	U.S. Senate	Wisconsin	$10,000
Dianne Feinstein	U.S. Senate	California	$10,000
Heidi Heitkamp	U.S. Senate	North Dakota	$10,000
Mazie K. Hirono	U.S. Senate	Hawaii	$10,000
Claire McCaskill	U.S. Senate	Missouri	$10,000
Jane Raybould	U.S. Senate	Nebraska	$10,000
Jacky Rosen	U.S. Senate	Nevada	$10,000
Kyrsten Sinema	U.S. Senate	Arizona	$10,000
Tina Smith	U.S. Senate	Minnesota	$10,000
Elizabeth Warren	U.S. Senate	Massachusetts	$10,000

Legal status

Off the Sidelines is a leadership PAC. The Federal Election Commission defines a leadership PAC as "a political committee that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by a candidate or an individual holding federal office, but is not an authorized committee of the candidate or officeholder and is not affiliated with an authorized committee of a candidate or officeholder (so is not campaigning on behalf of that person's election)."

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, "ambitious lawmakers can use their leadership PACs to gain clout among their colleagues and boost their bids for leadership posts or committee chairmanships. Politicians also use leadership PACs to lay the groundwork for their own campaigns for higher office."

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Off the Sidelines'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Off the Sidelines - Google News

External links

• Off the Sidelines website
• Off the Sidelines on Facebook
• Off the Sidelines on Flickr
• Off the Sidelines on Pinterest
• Off the Sidelines on Twitter
• Off the Sidelines on YouTube