Paycheck Fairness Act - Republican Revolt!

By Faith Chatham - April 9, 2014
I simply don't get it! I've worked side-by-side for decades with intelligent Republican women. They have been discriminated against payday after payday the same as Democratic women. So why is it that only DEMOCRATIC Congresswomen and Congressmen and Democratic Senators sponsored and co-sponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act? Don't only do I not GET IT, but obviously, there are more women out there than just Faith Chatham who simply isn't getting it?
The bigger question, is WHY AREN'T THEY GETTING IT? Why aren't they yelling along with us about not getting a fair deal in the workplace? How come there is such silence from the other side of the aisle? Why aren't the Republican women charging over and demanding fairness too? How come the wives of the male Congressmen and Senators aren't bashing them over the head when they get home until they finally get it?
I know this is more of a rant than a story but honestly, folks, I am trying to wrap my head around how this continues to be LEGAL and ACCEPTABLE to a vast part of the American citizenry. Over forty years ago I discovered that a man with the same education and job experience as I had who was hired the same day as I was for Harte-Hanks Newspaper in Marshall, Texas was paid 40% more than I was. I was angry. I went to my boss. I went to the publisher. I was told: "Men have to support their families." He didn't have a family. He was single just like I was. We both supported ourselves. Only he had 40% more available cash at the end of the week than I had after we'd put in the same hours and contributed equally to the company. Honestly, I think I contributed more than he did. I am still convinced that I was a better employee. I worked while he goofed off. But he got paid more.
I crossed the aisle and began working in the advertising department, not because I wanted to be an advertising person. I did it because in advertising they got a base salary and a commission. I could out-sell and out-produce any man in the department and there was more equity there than in the editorial department. It appalls me that this is still the acceptable norm and it seems to be fine with at least half of the women in this nation! That is what I simply don't get!
Why aren't we joining forces and bashing these Legislators over the Head? Why aren't women joining forces and demanding that every Congressperson who voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act get a "pink slip"!

Senator Barbara Mulinsik Senator BARBARA MIKULSKI of Maryland champions fairness for women. She has presented the bill multiple times in the Senate and there are companion bills (identical) which have been presented in the house. No Republican has voted for these bills? Senator Mikulski presented it again in the Senate on April 1, 2014. There are 34 Co-Sponsors and NONE ARE REPUBLICANS. None of the co-sponsors are from Texas! Why are Texas women quiet about this?
I don't get it! Women who vote Republican and run Republican Women's Club get cheated when the paychecks are distributed just like I was! Why are they silent! Why do they let this continue without fighting beside other women to change what is wrong! Do they want their daughters and granddaughters to continue being shortchanged the way they are? Don't they care? They don't appear to think they are powerless. Why aren't they fighting with us instead of against their own best interest?
Here is the text of the bill: http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/2199 It is titled: . Th A BILL To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Paycheck Fairness Act . The first section reads:

2. Findings Congressfinds the following:

(1) Women have entered the workforce in record numbers over the past 50 years. (2) Despite the enactment of theEqual Pay Act in 1963, many women continue to earn significantly lower pay than men for equal work. These pay disparities exist in both the private and governmental sectors. In many instances, the pay disparities can only be due to continued intentional discrimination or the lingering effects of past discrimination. (3) The existence of such pay disparities— (A) depresses the wages of working families who rely on the wages of all members of the family to make ends meet; (B) undermines women's retirement security, which is often based on earnings while in the workforce; (C) prevents the optimum utilization of available labor resources; (D) has been spread and perpetuated, through commerce and the channels and instrumentalities of commerce, among the workers of the several States; (E) burdens commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce; (F) constitutes an unfair method of competition in commerce; (G) leads to labor disputes burdening and obstructing commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce; (H) interferes with the orderly and fair marketing of goods in commerce; and (I) in many instances, may deprive workers of equal protection on the basis of sex in violation of the 5th and 14th Amendments. (4) (A) Artificial barriers to the elimination of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex continue to exist decades after the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938(29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.)and the Civil Rights Act of 1964(42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.). (B) These barriers have resulted, in significant part, because the Equal Pay Act has not worked asCongressoriginally intended. Improvements and modifications to the law are necessary to ensure that the Act provides effective protection to those subject to pay discrimination on the basis of their sex. (C) Elimination of such barriers would have positive effects, including— (i) providing a solution to problems in the economy created by unfair pay disparities; (ii) substantially reducing the number of working women earning unfairly low wages, thereby reducing the dependence on public assistance; (iii) promoting stable families by enabling all family members to earn a fair rate of pay; (iv) remedying the effects of past discrimination on the basis of sex and ensuring that in the future workers are afforded equal protection on the basis of sex; and (v) ensuring equal protection pursuant to Congress’ power to enforce the 5th and 14th Amendments. (5) TheDepartment of Laborand theEqual Employment Opportunity Commissionhave important and unique responsibilities to help ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work.

Why aren't all intelligent women behind this bill? How can there be such a partisan divide on something that impacts women of all political parties? NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON of the Washington Post wrote April 8, 2014 in an article titled: Paycheck Fairness Act has already failed twice. Will the third time be the charm?

What do Republicans think of this bill? Not much. The bill has no Republican co-sponsors, and they blocked it from going forward when it came up for a vote in 2012. Republican women, perhaps a natural place to look for support, voted with their party. Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), who voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Act in 2009, were no votes in 2012. The GOP, which released a memo Monday, cites increased lawsuits as a possible result of the legislation. Republicans also say discrimination based on sex is already illegal, so this bill is just piling on. Some conservatives and Republicans have also been questioning how big the pay gap actually is. Although the Democrats use the 77 cents on the dollar figure, other studies suggest it’s closer to 84 cents, depending on how you slice the numbers and account for life choices. (It’s hard to find a study that finds no pay disparity in what men and women make). Read more

The chart published with that article is:

So it seems that even though there is disagreement on how much inequity there is between men and women in the workforce, there is agreement that there is inequity. Therefore, why are Republican women sitting out this fight and letting the men continue getting away with cheating all of us in the workplace? The latest action on the Paycheck Fairness Act is: 04/08/2014 Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. In the House the identical bill is H.R.377 - Paycheck Fairness Act 113th Congress (2013-2014) http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/377

Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] (Introduced 01/23/2013) Cosponsors: 207 Latest Action: 04/23/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Notes: On 4/11/2013, a motion was filed to discharge the Committee on Education and the Workforce from the consideration of H.R.377. A discharge petition requires 218 signatures for further action. (Discharge Petition No. 113-1: text with signatures.)

All of the 208 Co-sponsors in the House of Representatives are Democrat. From the Texas Congressional Delegation these 12 members are co-sponsors: Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9] Rep. Green, Gene [D-TX-29] Rep. Hinojosa, Ruben [D-TX-15] Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30] Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16] Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] Rep. Vela, Filemon [D-TX-34] Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28] Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-35] Rep. Gallego, Pete P. [D-TX-23] In the House the bill appears stalled. It was referred to the Here is the list of Congressmen and Women and Senators who have voted against Paycheck Fairness for women: EVERY REPUBLICAN SENATOR VOTED AGAINST IT! That's the list! Every Republican Senator voted against the Pay Check Fairness Act. The Washington Post story by BY WESLEY LOWERY published April 9, 2014 reported:

Despite a heavy messaging push from top Democrats, the Senate failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act on Wednesday, aimed at cutting into the national gender wage gap -- falling six votes short. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), had 52 co-sponsors, but Democrats were unable to peresuade any Republicans to vote in favor of the legislation.

Now what are we to do? I suggest that we corner EVERY REPUBLICAN WOMAN WE KNOW and ask them: "Why are you standing still and allowing them to take money out of your pocket each and every week and not cornering them to pass this bill?" If she thinks she is paid fairly, ask if it is forbidden to share information about pay rates in her company? Then explain to her that she has a right to know what other people are paid for the same level of work. Maybe we'll have to educate these women. Obviously they aren't as sharp as Democratic women or they'd have already gotten it! They'd already know they were being cheated. They'd care. They'd be fighting right along side us. They'd be cornering the guys and refusing to do their bidding.