GOP war on women: Senate Tea-Publicans filibuster the Paycheck Fairness Act

Senate Tea-Publicans on Monday filibustered the Paycheck Fairness Act for the second time this year. Senate GOP blocks Paycheck Fairness Act for the second time:

Democrats needed 60 votes to advance the legislation but fell short in a 52-40 vote. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, voted against the bill.

Republicans had blocked the same bill earlier this year in a 53-44 vote.

Senate Democrats said they were giving Republicans another opportunity to ensure women receive equal pay for equal work.

“A woman who performs the same work as a man should be paid the same as a man,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said. “Senate Republicans simply cannot accept that notion. … American women deserve better.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act is part of Democrats’ “Fair Shot” agenda that is meant to draw a contrast with the GOP ahead of November’s election. The Senate is also expected to vote on raising the minimum wage and allowing students to refinance their loans, all measures that have already failed this year.

Democrats outperformed Republicans among women voters in 2012, one of the reasons they picked up two Senate seats despite predictions they would lose ground. Democratic pollsters worry that low turnout, especially among unmarried women, will hurt Democrats this year.

* * *

The Paycheck Fairness Act would punish employers for retaliating against workers who share wage information and would allow workers to sue for punitive damages for wage discrimination, among other things.

The measure would require the Department of Labor to increase outreach and training with employers to eliminate pay inequality and to continue to collect wage information based on gender.

The bill would also create a grant program to train women on wage negotiation skills.

GOPers can “mansplain” to the ladies why they are opposed to paying women the same as a man and providing them a meaningful legal remedy all they want. Women know that the GOP is not on their side on economic and workplace issues.

UPDATE: A related issue that rarely gets mentioned, lower pay over time amounts to less in savings — and smaller Social Security payments down the road. How the pay gap leads to the retirement savings gap.