Democrats on Monday blasted Republicans not only for escalating a so-called “war on women” but for thwarting efforts to help middle-class families.
The Democratic-led Senate is set to take a crucial test vote Tuesday on the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that seeks to ensure equal pay for men and women performing the same work. The bill is expected to fail. But that isn’t keeping Democrats from squeezing some political advantage out of it.
In calls to reporters and floor speeches Monday, including a cameo appearance by President Obama on one conference call, Democrats said Republican opposition to the pay-equity legislation not only underscored GOP disdain for women but would ultimately undermine female-headed families across the county.
“Everybody suffers” if the fill is defeated, Obama said, noting that women who make just 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man doing the same job are often their family’s sole breadwinner.
“So at a time when we’re in a make-or-break moment for the middle class,” Obama said, “Congress has to step up and do its job.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., echoed the same theme on the Senate floor Monday afternoon. Reid blamed Republicans for blocking several bills intended to benefit lower- and middle-income earners, including a tax increase on millionaires and some small businesses that could have help keep interest rates on student loans low and pay for other programs.
Anticipating that Democrats would not get the 60 votes they need to advance the Paycheck Fairness Bill Tuesday, Reid laid the blame for the bill’s expected failure on Republicans.
“They don’t want women to make the same amount of money so they are filibustering this,” Reid declared.
The legislation puts Republicans in a difficult position politically because most in the party oppose such restrictions on employers, as do business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Industry Leaders Association.
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