A bill that would pave the way for women to more easily litigate their way to pay equality failed in Congress for the second time in two years according to The New York Times. The Senate, to be exact, where Lilly M. Ledbetter, the woman whose name was attached to a 2009 law that ensured equal pay for women, watched from the gallery as the vote was 52 to 47 in favor of an open debate on the legislation, 8 votes short of the required 60.
Tuesday’s bill sought to bar companies from retaliating against workers who inquire about pay disparities and open pathways for female employees to sue for punitive damages in cases of paycheck discrimination. The same bill that failed a procedural vote in the Senate when no Republican supported it in 2010.
Both the Times and Reuters saw the measure was part of the Senate Democrats’ continuing effort to highlight divisions with Senate Republicans over women’s issues to force Republicans to take difficult votes on bills focused on domestic violence, wage discrimination and other matters.
But Democrats tried framing the issue as a broader economic one. “Middle-class families need the economic security,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan. And Senator Mary Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana, acknowledged Republicans’ central complaint that the bill would create litigation and potentially onerous compliance issues for small businesses. But she also said: “Where are these women supposed to go? What are they supposed to do? Have an appointment with their congressman? Show the congressman their paycheck?”
Democrats have repeatedly harped on the point that women make about 77 cents to the male dollar or based on median hourly pay, 86 percent as much as men, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The Times states that even before the vote, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, criticized Mitt Romney as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and his Republican colleagues for failing to take a position on the bill. Mr. Reid said, “They want to stick their heads in the sand and ignore the reality.” Then Mr. Reid went on to perform a legislative trick of his own voting against the measure as he’d then be able to procedurally call the legislation back to the floor again. Ms. Mikulski, of Maryland, also promised that would happen while brandishing a red lipstick as her weapon in a post-legislative news conference where the Democrat’s soapbox was rounded out by Nevada’s Senator Reid introducing Ms. Ledbetter, who the bill was named for. “Paycheck fairness is near and dear to my heart,” Ms. Ledbetter said.
During a different news conference held after the vote, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said Republicans were justified voting against the legislation. “We don’t think America suffers from a lack of litigation.” While President Obama said, “It is incredibly disappointing that in this make-or-break moment for the middle class, Senate Republicans put partisan politics ahead of American women and their families.”
But Republican critics said the legislation would allow women to pursue punitive damages in wage discrimination cases that would encourage too many frivolous court cases. “Unfortunately, the only winners under this legislation would be trial lawyers, giving them a windfall,” said Nevada’s Republican Senator Heller. “This legislation opens the door to frivolous lawsuits which already cost our economy billions of dollars every year.” And where does that money perhaps trickle? Lawyers have a pipeline to vacation homes on the shores of Afghanistan? Money doesn’t trickle from lawyers' pockets too? Granted they’re probably tighter with their dough than the desperate poor, but no doubt their intent to make so much is to spend it too. Maybe not as much on their female secretaries as they’d like, but there are already laws covering those fair wages.
But is it true since lawyers are so influential that any law that comes down the pike is a financial boondoggle for that industry? Probably not if legislative lobbyists are lawyers who are quite proficient in revenue raising whether laws are passed or not. Handlers’ fees come whether anything makes it to court or not. Lawyers are among our smartest and resourceful people. No matter what potential laws are deemed less worthy of enforcement, Congress is hardly protecting us from lawyers. Knowing where the money is they must make the best friends Congress has.
It is true our litigious society is stifling. Yet a fact women are discriminated against. Wouldn’t any kind of law against that lead to less lawsuits and not more when one equal person making more for the same job is a potential lawsuit whether they’re a man or woman or not? Maybe by trying to make this a non-gender issue ignores it’s a dominant gender issue.
Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, said, “It’s a very sad day here in the United States Senate,” after the vote. Apparently unaware its women’s fault lawyers get to keep their vote too.
6/6/2012
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Politics Rules Litigious Society Is Women’s Fault Probably Since Receiving Right To Vote
6/6/2012 concluded: Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, said, “It’s a very sad day here in the United States Senate,” after the vote. Apparently unaware its women’s fault lawyers get to keep their vote too.
June 6 - 13, 2016
What I could make out is ending the previous essay - Apparently unaware its women's fault lawyers get to keep their vote too - meant women's independence even enabled lawyers' freedom to remain possible, too. Laws, rules, custom, to the contrary. Women have done as much and more than all the mortal saints accredited with contributing to society's betterment.
Well. Lauding June 6 as D Day seemed less in vogue than it's been in even recent years. That momentous day from "a good war." I didn't forget. I started this reassessed essay, June 6, 2016, just as was coincidentally done June 6, 2012. When better to write about women's standing in society than D Day. Because while it should be hard to believe women's status is still held at bay, what's more incredible is our whole economies, focus, and patriotism, are all still linked to the foundation of leverage in war.
No. Women, and men, having equal rights was fought for, and possibly much more diplomatically than the rest of the world settles differences. Subjugation was and is an unethical tradition and until that fact is faced nothing will ever be. Not even the excuses.
Women on Currency Why not?
And Eleanor on the dime too with Franklin!
May the custom of fairness prevail.
The liberation of women stands between us and an objectively operating world.
Women Are Progress' Barometer
Women Are Progress' Barometer
Woman’s Rights Members at the 1st convention
in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
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