Today, Senate Republicans blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act, utilizing the filibuster for the second time over the last few weeks.  The first thing I thought was “Why do the Democrats think I need help?”  The second thing I thought was “Damn, the Democrats really do have the best marketing team EVER. How do they come up with these bills’ names?”  But then it struck me, again, how grateful I am for the filibuster.

A few months ago, I had several women I know come to dinner at my house.  Some of us were married, some of us were not. None of us had kids.  We all make six figures.  As I looked at the table of really amazing, capable, intelligent women I asked them if they felt they were ever held back because they were women. I asked this question specifically because I wondered if I was some outlier in the world of women who didn’t feel marginalized in some way. All of us agreed that if we had desired to make more money or rise in the corporate ranks that we could have done so.  We just didn’t want to give up the work/life balance it would have necessitated.  It was our body, our choice.

So it really galls me when I hear Progressives tell women and minorities they are incapable of taking care of themselves.  Imagine if Senator Tom Cotton said, “Hey little lady, do you need some help to (fill in the blank)?” The New York Times, Huffington Post and Washington Post would fuse into a single entity-of-wrath screeching as one: “His white, misogynistic and oppressive offer has no place in modern society today! The nerve of that man! Acting like she’s a damsel in distress incapable of taking on anything a man can do! Off with his head!”  You know it and I know it.  Hell, privately, THEY know it too. 

Even Vox was willing to admit that the reasons for any pay discrepancy among men and women have little to do with discrimination.  The Vox video below details some of the ways women make choices that affect their mid-life incomes.  It comes close to leveling out as women age.  In some fields, their pay is almost at parity now!

Since the dawn of time Republicans have to be the bad guys “The GOP uses the filibuster to tank equal pay for women!”  It’s never “The Democrats refuse to compromise in order to gain ground on the Paycheck Fairness Act.” Instead, the answer is demolishing the filibuster.  

Mitch McConnell just used the filibuster to block the Paycheck Fairness Act which would have guaranteed women equal pay.

We must reform the filibuster.

— Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto) June 9, 2021

And there it is AGAIN!  Fairness.  Just another word for Equity.

Just a few days ago I wrote on California’s proposed solution to the Home-Ownership Gap, primarily as a way to “help minorities” buy a home.  In it, I discussed how every time Grampa Government tries to make things “fair” they end up shafting the very people they want to assist.  Every. Single. Time!

This Paycheck Fairness Act is no different.  When government imposes arbitrary stipulations on businesses, business always finds a way to make it work.  Almost always it will hurt the work-force.  When many states raised their own minimum wage, what did business do?  They cut worker’s hours so they didn’t have to pay medical benefits.  Or started installing automated systems that ended the need for certain laborers. 

As Vice President Neil Bradley of the Chamber of Business said in March:

The measure “would impose a new multi-factor test that includes a vague ‘business necessity’ test that would effectively eliminate the ability of an employer to make compensation decisions based on such factors,” Chamber Executive Vice President Neil Bradley wrote in a letter to House leaders in March. “As a result, employees will not be compensated based on the attributes they bring to the job and their actual contributions to their employer.”

The reason we have the filibuster is to ensure that compromises are made on both sides of the political spectrum so that no bills are passed without a real majority opinion.  It is the literal safeguard to our Democracy.  Just as the Democrats painted themselves into a corner when they ended the filibuster for judicial nominations, they will surely make it worse for themselves if they end the filibuster for ANY legislation.  One day, God willing, the Republicans will have the majority again.  And the Democrats will be screaming about how unfair it is that they are getting stomped on without it. Every day I pray a little that Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema help us hold the line.

Featured Image: “successful business woman on a laptop” by Search Engine People Blog via Creative Commons, cropped and modified.