In an absolutely appalling move, the Paycheck Fairness Act was voted down by every Republican member, including four female Senators, earlier this week in the US Senate.
Introduced by Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski, the Paycheck Fairness Bill was hailed as a big step toward pay equity. The bill proposed a ban on salary secrecy, as well as the development of training programs that could create better opportunities for women to negotiate compensation.
It is unbelieveable that in this day and age, a legislation to ensure equal pay in the workplace for both men and women has been blocked.
This was the fourth time since 2011 that Democrats in the Senate brought the Paycheck Fairness Bill to the floor, and Republicans have been rejecting it since. The bill needed 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster and advance to a final vote on passage, but it fell short by a vote of 52 to 40.
Elizabeth Warren, the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a Democrat, expressed her outrage in a tell-all tweet.
Every single Republican in the US Senate voted against equal pay for equal work for women today. Unreal. #equalpay
— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) September 16, 2014