Today ends a particularly embarrassing week for Senate Democrats, who became the subject of numerous controversies this week.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced the Ex-PATRIOT Act, designed to impose massive financial burdens on those Americans who choose to renounce citizenship for tax purposes. The law, which would also prevent such individuals from ever setting foot in the country again, is in response to the news that a Facebook co-founder would renounce his citizenship to avoid paying millions of dollars in taxes.
The law was viewed by some as a frightening example of government intrusion. Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist remarked that, “I think Schumer can probably find the legislation to do this. It existed in Germany in the 1930s and Rhodesia in the ’70s and in South Africa as well.”
Without checking facts, Schumer quickly lashed out at Norquist for perceived Nazi comparisons. Unfortunately for Schumer, the tax Norquist was referring to was enacted by H. Bruning of Centre party in 1931, well before the Nazi’s came to power.
Then, on Wednesday, a group of Democratic Senators introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, which is designed to decrease the wage gap between men and women. Republicans are unlikely to support such a law, since the hallmark Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act has already been signed into law by President Obama.
However, taunting of the GOP by Senate Democrats came to a screeching halt this morning, when the Washington Free Beacon reported that 37 Senate Democrats pay their female staffers appallingly less than their male staffers.
Among those accused of hypocrisy are Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Cali.) who pay their female employees an average of $20,000 less than they pay male employees.
These appalling figures further refute the notion that the GOP is waging a War on Women and demonstrate the hypocrisy of Democrat elected officials.
Other topics that Senate Dems spent the week complaining about were: campaign spending, Super PACs and regulating energy drink companies.
The only notable legislation the Senate took up were bills to stop Stafford student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1. Both the Republican version (which had already passed in the House of Representatives) and the Senate Democrats’ versions failed.
The Senate is now in recess for the next week and a half. Real productive week they had.
