Murray objects to Fischer request (S.2200); Fischer objects to Murray request (S.862)
Senator Murray objected and asked consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of S.862, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration, the bill be read a third time and passed.
Senator Fischer objected.
Unofficial Transcript:
MRS. MURRAY: MR. PRESIDENT, THE BILL THAT MY COLLEAGUE FROM
NEBRASKA IS ASKING TO BRING BEFORE US TODAY FALLS FAR SHORT OF
CLOSING THE WAGE GAP. I WILL SPEAK FOR A FEW MINUTES JUST ABOUT
WHY, AND THEN AT THE END OF MY REMARKS, I WILL ASK FOR ANOTHER
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST. BECAUSE IF WE REALLY WANT TO OFFER
WORKING WOMEN SOLUTIONS FOR PAY DISCRIMINATION, WE SHOULD
INSTEAD PASS SENATOR MIKULSKI'S PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT BECAUSE
TODAY WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY MAKE JUST 79 CENTS FOR EVERY
DOLLAR A MAN MAKES. THIS IS AN ISSUE ACTUALLY DEMOCRATS HAVE
BEEN FOCUSED ON FOR YEARS, AND I'M GLAD THAT AT LEAST SOME
REPUBLICANS FINALLY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A WAGE GAP PROBLEM,
AND I REALLY WELCOME THEIR SUPPORT FOR FIXING THIS SYSTEMIC
PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THE REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL THAT'S OFFERED
TODAY WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE SOLUTIONS THAT WORKING WOMEN NEED.
- PRESIDENT, MANY COMPANIES PROHIBIT WORKERS FROM DISCUSSING
THEIR SALARY AND DISCOVERS THERE IS A WAGE GAP, HER EMPLOYER
COULD FIRE HER OR RETALIATE IN SOME OTHER WAY. THE REPUBLICAN
BILL WOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR AN EMPLOYER TO RETALIATE AGAINST
WORKERS FOR DISCUSSING SALARY BUT ONLY WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS
ARE FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF FINDING OUT IF THE EMPLOYER IS
PROVIDING EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK. NONRETALIATION IS ONLY ONE
SMALL PART OF THE WAGE GAP PROBLEM, AND IT DOESN'T PROVIDE
NEARLY ENOUGH PROTECTIONS TO ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
CLOSING THE PAY GAP. IN TODAY'S WORKPLACE, MANY WORKERS FIND
OUT ABOUT PAY DISCRIMINATION BY ACCIDENT. MAYBE THEY SEE A
SPREAD SHEET THAT WAS LEFT ON A COFFEE MACHINE OR MAYBE A MALE
COLLEAGUE'S SALARY COMES UP IN CASUAL CONVERSATION. BUT IN
THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, ANY WORKER WHO ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS THE
PROBLEM WOULD HAVE NO PROTECTIONS FROM RETALIATIONS UNDER THIS
BILL. THE ONLY WAY TO QUALIFY FOR THESE LIMITED PROTECTIONS IS
IF A WOMAN USES THE MAGIC WORDS TO PASS A LEGAL TEST WHEN
DISCUSSING EQUAL PAY WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES. AND, MR. PRESIDENT,
IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN THAT. THIS BILL COULD GIVE WORKERS A FALSE
SENSE OF SECURITY THAT THEIR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EQUAL PAY ARE
PROTECTED, WHEN INSTEAD WOMEN COULD STILL BE REPRIMANDED OR
WORSE LOSE THEIR JOB ALTOGETHER FOR FINDING OUT THAT THEIR MALE
COLLEAGUES EARN MORE THAN THEM. SO THIS REPUBLICAN BILL
WOULDN'T EVEN SOLVE THE ONE NARROW PROBLEM IT IS TRYING TO
ADDRESS. THANKFULLY, MR. PRESIDENT, WE DO HAVE A BILL THAT
WOULD ADDRESS THE WAGE GAP. IT IS THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
THAT SENATOR MIKULSKI HAS CHAMPIONED. THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
WOULD MAKE IT UNLAWFUL FOR EMPLOYERS TO RETALIATE AGAINST
WORKERS FOR DISCUSSING PAY, PERIOD. IT WOULDN'T INVOLVE A
COMPLICATED LEGAL TEST LIKE THE REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL, AND THE
PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT WOULD HELP CLOSE THE WAGE GAP IN SO MANY
IMPORTANT WAYS. IF A WOMAN FINDS OUT HER MALE COLLEAGUES ARE
PAID MORE FOR THE SAME WORK, THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT BACKS
HER UP. IT WILL EMPOWER WOMEN TO NEGOTIATE FOR EQUAL PAY AND
CLOSE THE LOOPHOLES IN THE EQUAL PAY ACT AND CREATE STRONG
INCENTIVES FOR EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE EQUAL PAY. I WANT TO MAKE
ONE THING VERY CLEAR. THE REPUBLICAN BILL BEING OFFERED TODAY
HAS ZERO DEMOCRATIC COSPONSORS. IT IS NOT BIPARTISAN. BY
CONTRAST, BEFORE REPUBLICANS POLITICIZED EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL
WORK, THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT ACTUALLY PASSED THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, IN BOTH 2008 AND 2009 WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
UNFORTUNATELY, SINCE THEN, SOME REPUBLICANS HAVE DECIDED TO
MAKE THE WAGE GAP ABOUT POLITICS AND BLOCKED IT HERE IN THE
SENATE, SO I AM GLAD TODAY THAT REPUBLICANS DO AGREE WITH US
THAT THIS IS AN URGENT PROBLEM. WE NEED REAL SOLUTIONS TO
ADDRESS IT, SO THAT'S WHY I OBJECTED TO THE FISCHER BILL, AND I
URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT THAT
WOULD TACKLE PAY DISCRIMINATION HEAD ON. AND THEREFORE I ASK
UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE HELP COMMITTEE BE DISCHARGED FROM
FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF S. 862, THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT, THE
SENATE PROCEED TO ITS IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION, THE BILL BE READ
A THIRD TIME AND PASSED AND THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER BE
CONSIDERED MADE AND LAID UPON THE TABLE WITH NO INTERVENING
ACTION OR DEBATE.
