Susan Collins Voted Against The Paycheck Fairness Act Again

Maine Republican Susan Collins makes $174,000 a year, along with great retirement and health benefits-- the same as the boys make. And that's the way it should be. But yesterday Collins, a millionaire, joined the Republican Party filibuster seeking to prevent a simple up-or-down vote on Barbara Mikulski's Paycheck Fairness Act, S.2199. 52 senators voted to end the filibuster, a majority… but not a big enough majority.

Ever since Olympia Snowe retired, Collins has lost any inclination-- and spine-- to stand up against the extremists and radicals in her party. She's just another knee-jerk vote for whatever the Republican Party strategy happens to be-- and that means she's backing the neo-Confederates and fanatics who set GOP policy… even on women's equality. I mean, why would Susan Collins of Maine-- not Jefferson Beauregard Sessions IV of Alabama-- vote against allowing a bill that was meant to prevent employers from discriminating against women employees? And this is the 4th time Collins pulled this kind of crap since Snowe retired-- which might help explain when you don't see her out campaigning for Collins this cycle.

Her opponent in November, Shenna Bellows, has an entirely different perspective than Collins. "Women deserve equal pay for equal work," she said flatly. "The Paycheck Fairness Act would put in place commonsense protections for workers who stand up against pay discrimination. Any employer deliberately discriminating against his or her employees should be held accountable, and every working American should know that pay is based on merit. The working people of Maine deserve a senator who leads on equal pay, not one who finds reasons to vote against it."

Another Senate candidate Blue America is backing, South Dakota populist Rick Weiland, was also incensed about the GOP blocking the bill and, in effect, killing it for 2014. "Vote again and if it doesn’t pass, do it again. Keep voting on this bill until it passes because it is the right thing to do," he told his supporters yesterday right after the vote. "Instead of voting for everyday families, the Senate just voted to protect the bottom line of their billion dollar donors. Pay discrimination is robbing working women and we can’t afford it. South Dakota has the worst wages in the country, the lowest teacher pay, and a minimum wage that can’t keep our families out of poverty. And somehow there are Senators who oppose Equal Pay for Equal Work. No wonder the Senate approval is in the single digits." Rick's campaign released a more detailed position paper:

It is simply unconscionable that Mike Rounds’ Republican allies killed legislation that would have strengthened Equal Pay for Equal Work laws. If two people are doing the same exact job but one is a man and the other is a woman, the woman has to work 3 extra months to get the same pay. Somehow Mike Rounds and his Republican supporters think that is ok.

South Dakota leads the country in people working two jobs. Under Mike Rounds, we had the lowest wages. We had the third lowest weekly salary. We have the worst paid teachers. At the same time, South Dakota families are relying more and more on working moms to keep a roof over their heads and their kids fed. South Dakotans flat out can’t afford pay discrimination. Mike Rounds doesn’t get that. His idea of economic success is one where the rich get richer and the poor struggle to make ends meet. Rick Weiland stands for hardworking South Dakota women who need a fair shake and an even playing field.

49 days to go. You can lend a hand to both Shenna Bellows and Rick Weiland on this ActBlue Senate page.