Women Senators Come Together to Support Fair Pay Act (February 7, 2009)

[Captain_Nemo]

http://thenewagenda.net/2009/02/07/women-senators-come-together-to-support-fair-pay-act/

by Jane Smith

Jane Smith blogs at Unapologetic Feminist.

"On January 22, 2009, at 6:17 p.m., something remarkable and historic took place on the floor of U.S. Senate. You may think that I am talking about the passage of the Lily Ledbetter Act, but I am not. The momentous event I am talking about is even more profound than the Lilly Ledbetter Act itself, and is revealed in the Senate roll call vote from that night.

A total of 97 votes were cast in the Senate on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. In order for the bill to be passed by the Senate, a 3/5 majority is required, or in this case, a total of 59 votes. The bill passed with 61 votes, so it was not a landslide.

~snip~


"...However, upon analysis of the Republican vote, a dramatic gender divide is evident. Of the 41 Republicans in the U.S. Senate, only four are women. All four women voted yea, or 100% of Republican female Senators voted in favor of the Lily Ledbetter Act. Only one male Republican Senator, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, voted yea, or 2.7% of Republican male senators.

These are striking statistics. Are we to believe that women crossed political party lines to vote in support of women’s rights, simply because they happen to be women? Yes. Are we to believe that women from all wavelengths of the political spectrum have the scruples to vote for women’s rights, even when it requires going against their own party? Yes. Are we to believe that one political party does not have the monopoly on female empowerment? Yes. Are we to believe that the gender of our representatives makes a difference in how they vote on issues affecting women? Hell Yes!

Perhaps one could argue that with such a paltry statistical sampling of 4 women, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. However, due to the lack of gender equity in Congress, we’re entitled to a little extrapolation.
Another dramatic twist in this story is the impact that these Republican women made on the fate of the bill. The Ledbetter Act passed by a slim margin. If three of those Republican women had voted nay, then the bill would have been defeated. Their votes were necessary to bring the vote home for all women. So, ultimately, it was the Republican women who tipped the scales in our favor.

In politics, it is never easy to go against the grain. So, let’s thank the brave Republican women who took one for the team. Thank you, Kay Hutchison from Texas, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
By the way, does anyone else find it nauseating that this remarkable unification of women was overlooked by the mainstream media? It appears that they are too busy reporting on the adolescent male fantasy of a catfight between Sarah Palin and Ashley Judd. I guess we need more women running the newsrooms too!"

[Jennicut]

1. The Repub women were at least smart enough to do the right thing here.

[Captain_Nemo]

2. Of the four women senators the Repubs have...they are all pro-choice

Kay Bailey says she's pro-life but has made it clear she is not for overturning Roe.

[Jennicut]

3. Good.

At least they get it that women's rights are important.