What Equal Pay Day? McConnell Slams Paycheck Fairness Act

[DonViejo]

Eleanor Clift

On a day meant to symbolize wage discrepancies between women and men, Mitch McConnell slammed the Democrats’ bill—and provided yet more fodder for the ‘war on women’ meme.

Not everyone is aware that Tuesday was Equal Pay Day, marking how much extra time women would have to work into 2014 to earn as much as men. It’s an important day for Democratic activists seeking to highlight the discrepancy in wages. Women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, and equal pay for equal work, a slogan that dates back to the early suffragists, is enjoying renewed resonance.

Democrats dusted off their Paycheck Fairness Act for a vote Wednesday, the third attempt for the legislation, which failed in 2010 and 2012. Sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the bill has 52 co-sponsors, all Democrats. Not even Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, often allies on women’s issues, are stepping up on this one.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to couple his criticism of the pay equity bill with his fury at Majority Leader Harry Reid’s attacks on the conservative Koch brothers. All that Democrats are doing, McConnell said, is trying to “blow a few kisses to their powerful pals on the left.” He characterized Reid’s tactics as a “bizarre obsession” and said it’s part of the Democrats’ “never-ending political road show.”

The reaction was instantaneous. The Democratic political committees, Emily’s List, which helps elect pro-choice women, and Democrats across the board jumped on McConnell. With women a key demographic heading into the midterm elections, Democrats are hoping that Republicans who say such things will revive the “war on women” meme that brought women to the polls in the last election. President Obama won reelection on the strength of a strong gender gap, and Democrats need to duplicate those numbers in key Senate races in November.

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/09/what-equal-pay-day-mcconnell-slams-paycheck-fairness-act.html

[Niceguy1]

1. I dont see what is so complicated

Same job, same seniority should have the same pay rate for hours worked.... same vacation and sick leave allotments, too.

[shanemcg]

3. I believe this is the case for the most part already

It must be for 90% of the jobs out there already. Maybe female CEOs make less than their male counterparts.

I know everywhere I've ever worked women and men doing the same job got paid the same amount and received the same benefits.

So, yeah, great. Kinda seem like window dressing to me.

Meanwhile, gas is $4/gal, all food going up and up, must be 2 posts on DU today about meat prices going up, records set. The price of everything else increasing exponentially. And we are debating whether we should raise the minimum wage to $10.10. I guess the unemployed that don't get UE anymore or food stamp been cut off, too bad so sad. Sorry about that!

As this plays out we have a Congressperson crying about how hard it is to live on the measly $175K/yr he makes for working a third of the year.

Sorry for not being as excited about this victory as others.

[SmittynMo]

2. This idiot has got to go.