in the studio is jackie speier. has founded the professional businesswomen organization when she was a member of the state assembly. it's been 23 years since the organization started. congresswoman, i want to ask you very specific reason to get things started. tell us the change? >> the good news is things are getting better. it used to be women were making 69-70 cents for every dollar earned by men and it's creeping up. we have more womenn in ceo positions to make us feel there is some movement. we do still stove look at the data and it suggests that less than 4% of women serve in ceo positions in the fortune 500 companies. >> why don't think think that is? >> i don't think we have the number of women on board of directors. 14% of board of directors have women serving on them. as more women are in a position to to identify talent, i think we're going to be in a better position zbrooc pay equity. >> we have goodews news but we'e not there yet. working wives are making more than their husbands and it's going to go up

and now jackie speier with a current -- >> jacki schechner. >> oh, pardon me.ning. everyone. senator john mccain is speaking out now about mitt romney rick santorum saying it is time for santorum to make a quote graceful exit. in interviews this morning he called rick santorum's bid for the white house now irrelevant and said it's time for mitt romney to focus on the general election. it's important for us to note that senator mccain is a strong romney supporter. he advised romney to take his time when picking a vice president candidate. curious advice. instead of losing d.c. maryland and wisconsin, rick santorum is calling it now halftime saying he will continue to fight on, obviously looking forward to his home state primary on the 24th of april. he will also face some favorable states in may like north carolina, nebraska and texas. he has already slipped from the lead in pennsylvania. he had double digits, now he's down to single digiting. exit polls showing republican voters most concerned about the economy, more so than any social issue. and we have new pr

. >> these women got their courage to tell their stories in a meeting with jackie speier. >> turned into some a and attacked me, raped me with my clothes. when i tried to get away several times, he was pulling me back by my hair. >> when they tried to report the military rape, they were victimized again. >> they become pariahs. the presumption is they are lying. >> they had planned for long term careers but instead was discharged from service early. now, they suffer every day with mst. military sexual trauma. >> the rapists are walking around free men. >> my bill would develop a sexual predator database. >> congresswoman jackie speier has introduced a bill which stands for sexual assault training and prevention act. it would affect victims reportments. >> what my bill would take it out of the chain of command so a rim reports it to a separate office that is staffed with experts and prosecution and investigation, case management. >> no one protected them but they want to protect other defenders. >> if we are able to stand up, our rapists no longer have a power. we have owe have power back

congress woman jackie speier says it's a great way to network and hear inspirational speakers and hear about critical issues facing women. >> this is ironic a 40-year-old woman who doesn't smoke pays more for health insurance than a 40-year-old man who does smoke. >> you'll hear more on this sunday at 10:00 a.m. go beyond the headlines here on abc 7. you can hear more about the conference on our web site. >> and you know pennies now cost more to make than they're worth leading to debate whether they should be done away but this rare experimental penny just sold for $1 million. it was minted in 1792 from copper wrapped around silver and says "liberty. parent of science and industry". only 14 still exist. the same coin sold last for 105,000s ndz 1974. >> wow. >> and lots of folks enjoying warm weather today. there are some taking advantage of the heat. and it's going to be hotter this weekend. >> and there is puffs to make it into the building. >> it's only going to get tougher to stay inside and this is going to be gorgeous outside tomorrow but only going to get hotter, there is a live

jackie speier the professional business women's circumference a great way to network and hear inspirational speakers. and to hear critical issues facing women including healthcare. >> a 40-year-old woman who doesn't smoke pays more than a 40-year-old man who does smoke. >> terry: join cheryl jennings right after this newscast for "beyond the headlines" right here. you can learn more about the conference on our website under see it on tv. >> don't go away. "7 on your side" is next. >> a new service checks your credit card bill for overcharges so you don't have to. i'm michael finney with all the details coming up on "7 on your >> terry: how would you like to have someone go over your credit card bill every month to make sure you don't have wrong charges? michael finney has learned about a new service that will do just that. >> reporter: he accidentally left his credit card at a toy store and picked up by a thief. >> somebody purchased over $500 worth of fresh seafood down at the market on my credit card. >> reporter: he got the charges reversed but it kom got him thinking about security. >>

. >> reporter: congresswoman jackie speier has gone to the house floor 19 times. >> we need to overhaulstem. >> demanding that congress and the military change the way sex u you'll assaults are prosecuted. >> you report everything through your chain of command. so i'm raped. i go to my commander, say, i've been raped. my commander can say to me, well, i'm not going to pursue this. or, take an aspirin and go to bed. as long as it's going to be in the chain of command, there's always going to be a conflict. >> reporter: her bill, the stop act, would take investigations away from the chain of command and turn them over to an impartial council of civilian and military experts. >> if you're not going to have your assailant prosecuted, why would you want to come forward? because you're basically setting yourself up to lose your career in the military. >> reporter: speiers seize for years her calls have gone unanswered, until secretary of defense leon panetta took office. >> we've got to train commanders to understand that when these complaints are brought they've got to do their damneddest to

still with me is+ congresswoman jackie speier and with me is former u.s.. congresswoman, how receptive is the department of defense to the approach you have been proposing? we're talking about the difficulty of taking it out of the chain ofç command. you have been doing this work a lot with the pentagon, how receptive are they? >> they are not receptive to changing the culture in terms of the chain of command. they believe strongly you have to retain the chain of command. their solution is taking it, elevating it to the next level. and i just don't believe that in the long run that's going to work. so changing the culture is a much bigger problem. i want to say something about arianna. this young woman was valedictorian in her class. appointed to the naval academy, served in iraq or afghanistan, comes home and is assaulted eight blocks from the u.s. capitol. >> you know, ariana, reading exactly that story about you that the congresswoman was just telling, and what i know of my loved ones who have served in the military, is that it matters so much, that id

plenty and we are bountiful with food in this nation, and i'm so delighted that our colleague, jackie speier, from california, has joined us tonight for this conversation. ms. speier: i thank my colleague from connecticut, who says it better than any of us. and with such great fervor and passion. you know, there are times here when i am elated and there are times when i'm sick to my stomach. and tonight is one of those times when i'm sick to my stomach. i am embarrassed for this body. i am embarrassed that the republicans want to stuff polar bears and bring them back to this country as trophies for their hunters but they do not want to stuff the bellies of poor kids in our country. there is something fundamentally wrong. and i say that with a great deal of remorse, really. one in seven americans, now, is in poverty and needs the -- needs to be part of the snap program. i think it's really important for us to say it over and over again, this program is not filled with fraud. this program is one of the best programs that we run in the government, where the error rate and fraud is less than 3%.