Howie Klein, writing in the Huffington Post:
Yesterday the House passed, by 247-178, the Paycheck Fairness Act. Every single Democrat voted for it and 14 Republicans– mostly cowards running from their records– joined then. The worst of the GOP ideologues and extremists all voted no. Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro explained why this bill is so meaningful:
“With this resolution, we take up an effort that began more than 150 years ago when visionary women came together to stand up for women’s rights, to better the status of women in our society. In this tradition, more than 11 years ago, I first introduced the legislation that we consider this morning, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and I cannot help but think of all the Aprils we have commemorated Equal Pay Day without legislative movement. But today the legislative inertia we have experienced for years have come to an end. The wage gap is real… Over the course of her lifetime, a female high school graduate will make $700,000 less than the young man she graduates with. Compared to a man, a female college graduate stands to lose up to $2 million in the course of her career. This is true across the board.”
So what does this have to do with Congressman McCaul?
Among the Republicans voting against equal pay for women– daring Republican women to vote against them– were a wide range of Republicans from make believe moderates…to died in the wool far right radicals like…Mike Mike McCaul (R-TX)…
We’re puzzled. The 2008 Texas GOP Platform clearly states that Republicans believe in “Promoting Individual Freedom…” and the “Equality of All Citizens.” “We deplore all discrimination,” it asserts. What is paying a woman less than a man for the same work, but gender based discrimination?
And their third principle asserts that, as Republicans, “We believe that good government is based on the individual, and each person’s ability, dignity, freedom, and responsibility must be honored and recognized. We believe equal opportunity is a right and a privilege…” See? It seems like they would be supportive of equal pay for equal work! “…but equal outcome is not.” Oh.
Well there you go.
Apparently, in Representative McCaul’s mind, equal outcome is not to be guaranteed for equal work. Indeed, we’re guessing that for our wives, mothers, and sisters, being paid a fair wage for equal work is neither a privilege, nor a right. In any case, we await his McCaul Minute explaining his failure to vote for Texas women.