Republican Senate block Democrats’ equal pay bill

Republicans in the Senate blocked a Democratic bill on Tuesday requesting equal pay in the workplace for women. The pay equity bill failed along party lines in a 52-47 vote, short of the required 60-vote threshold. For majority Democrats, the debate itself was aimed at pitting Republicans on the defense on yet another women’s issue, this matter overtly economic after a government report showed slow unexpected employment growth.

After the vote, President Barack Obama commented, “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.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “Even Mitt Romney has refused to publicly oppose this legislation. He should show some leadership.” Instead of discussing the debate on equal pay, Mitt Romney focused on unemployment among Hispanics in Fort Worth, Texas. “Of course Gov. Romney supports pay equity for women. In order to have pay equity, women need to have jobs, and they have been getting crushed in this anemic Obama economy,” said Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg. The Senate debate was over the “Paycheck Fairness Act,” a measure that aims to strengthen the Fair Labor Standards Act’s protections against pay inequities based on gender.