Dear Friend,

Playing politics with the lives of women and girls. That's the only way to describe the attacks on birth control and abortion care happening in Washington, D.C., right now. Help NOW fight back.

Your membership is up for renewal, and your commitment to NOW has never been more crucial. You can renew online today, safely and securely.

NOW activists and leaders around the country are organizing, educating, collaborating with allies and meeting with elected officials and candidates for office. Here are the most egregious measures we're fighting:

» ITEM: Earlier this month, a House subcommittee held a hearing on the absurdly titled Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act. This cynical bill exploits sex and race discrimination in an attempt to impede women of color's access to abortion. Help us stop this bill in its tracks.

» ITEM: In a shockingly unprecedented move, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services overruled the FDA's decision that a form of emergency contraception is safe and effective and should be available over the counter without age restrictions.

» ITEM: As I write, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is trying to force President Obama to allow religiously affiliated employers -- not just churches, but universities, hospitals and nonprofits, too -- to refuse to cover contraception. This loophole would undermine the Affordable Care Act's mandate of such coverage!

These harsh measures would leave vulnerable women without access to abortion care and birth control and are wildly out of step with the values and desires of the vast majority of people in this country. We are working to turn the tide, and you can help.

NOW is determined to make the voices of women and girls, and the men and boys who support equality, heard loud and clear. With your help, we will win this fight. If you haven't renewed already, please renew your membership today.

When you renew your membership, you stay part of our vital network of feminist activists. Please let me hear from you right away.