Senate Democrats have been lambasted by their Senate Republican counterparts for postponing a vote in regards to the unequal pay bill until Democratic co-frontrunners Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Clinton of New York return from the campaign trail. So far, the two of them are still fighting it out for the Democratic Party’s nomination. Recently, Clinton beat Obama by ten points in the Pennsylvania primary on April 22.
This Fair Pay Restoration Act is the result of the Senate’s response to a ruling by the Supreme Court back in 2007 in regards to lawsuits regarding claiming discrimination on the basis of pay. Should the bill be signed into law, the statute of limitations between each paycheck would be 180 days or three months time. Senate Republicans argue that approval of the bill would cause a flood of lawsuits. For that reason, the Senate Republicans are blocking the unequal pay bill.
Right now, the bill is going through a filibuster. Though the Democrats had assistance from a few Republicans in regards to the bill, there were not enough votes to break through the filibuster. It was a 56 to 42 vote. By a margin, the Democrats were not able to shatter the filibuster. They were four votes short of the 60 that was required.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senator Minority Leader, one of the biggest opponents of this bill, urged that this bill be blocked. Instead, he called forth to focus on a debate on a current pending bill in the Senate in regards to veterans’ benefits.
On Thursday, April 24, the Senate plans to vote on Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. If the bill is signed into law, insurance companies will be prohibited by law to deny healthcare and/or adjust premiums to determine eligibility on the basis of genetic information. In the case of employers, they cannot use genetic information in regards to the hiring, firing, assigning, or promoting of employees.
Until the Democrats took control of Congress back in 2007, the issue was left in the dark.
In regards to Clinton and Obama, they both support the passing of this bill. However, there was no response from presumed GOP nominee Senator John McCain of Arizona.
Clinton argues that this bill will promote fundamental fairness between men and women in the workplace. Obama argues that everybody should be rewarded for doing a good job no matter one’s appearance and gender.
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