Obama Touts Women's Progress

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at two political fundraisers in Washington, touting progress he said his administration has made for women.

Speaking at the Women's Leadership Forum, the president noted he has appointed two women to the U.S. Supreme Court and said his Department of Education's Race to Top campaign has brought more women into science and math education.

He also noted that the Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to "cover preventive care like mammograms with no out-of-pocket costs. And it will be illegal to charge women more than men just because of their gender."

He said that, in contrast to Republicans in Washington and in several statehouses, "I'm not willing to defund Planned Parenthood."

"We've made enormous strides over past two years," he said. "That should not make us complacent. It should give us confidence in next 5 and a half years. I promise I'll be with you every step of the way."

After the Women's Leadership Forum event, Obama spoke at a private residence where the Democratic National Committee held a fundraiser.

In remarks that largely included what is becoming his standard 2012 campaign speech, the president reminded his audience of the condition the U.S. economy was in when he took office in 2009 and said that although the economy has been growing, stronger growth is necessary.

"This is going to be a tough race because the economy is still recovering; a lot of people are still suffering," he said. "I'm extraordinarily proud of the record that we've amassed over these last two and a half years. But some of the same underlying anxieties and frustrations, difficulties that middle-class families are experiencing out there, they're still feeling. And they expect me and my administration working with Congress in a bipartisan way whenever possible -- they expect us to deal with it."