Now that you’ve watched Barack Obama get down with the music stylings of Carly Rae Jepsen, it’s time to get back down to serious political business. Or not so serious, depending on how much you believe the democratic party’s attempt to pass a bill in the senate that would help close the wage gap between men and women in the US.
The paycheck bill would ban companies from responding against any workers who inquire about pay disparities. It would also allow employees to sue for punitive damages if they find any “broad” differences in compensation between male and female workers. Democrats say the bill would support the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter pay law that expanded the statute of limitations for filing equal-pay lawsuits.
But the bill will undoubtedly fail due to republican opposition. The democrats in the senate are hoping to hold on to the female vote for the November election with a series of female-oriented legislation attempts. It’s common practice in election time, and it appears to be working. In a recent survey, fifty percent of females identified as supporters of the democratic party, eight points over the GOP.
Should we believe the hype? Hopefully this kind of attempt at closing the gender gap, whether rooted in winning voters or not, is a step in a positive direction towards equality regardless of motivation.
(Image courtesy of FirstReference.com)
