Fix Our Senate: “This is the latest example of Republican obstreperousness and another clear demonstration that the filibuster must be eliminated as Sen. McConnell’s weapon of partisan obstruction.”
Supermajority: "This is why we support eliminating the filibuster — because it’s too often a tactic to block racial justice and equity"
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, after Senate Republicans filibustered the Paycheck Fairness Act, Sen. Patty Murray’s bill to help address the gender pay gap in America, Fix Our Senate and Supermajority released the below statements calling on Democrats to finally eliminate the filibuster. Tonight’s vote comes on the heels of a Senate Republican filibuster that blocked the bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection and as the House continues to pass critical legislation destined to die in the Senate until the filibuster is fixed.
"Sen. McConnell is doing exactly what he promised to do: spending 100 percent of his energy blocking President Biden’s popular agenda that is supported by a majority of Americans and a majority of their representatives in Congress,” said Fix Our Senate spokesman Eli Zupnick. “This is the latest example of Republican obstreperousness and another clear demonstration that the filibuster must be eliminated as Sen. McConnell’s weapon of partisan obstruction.”
“Sadly our white male-dominated Senate just voted against narrowing the pay gap between women and men. This vote comes at a time when women, particularly women of color, are reeling from the horrible economic impacts of the pandemic,” said Amanda Brown Lierman, Executive Director of Supermajority. “These leaders are failing the very voters who put them in office. This is why we support eliminating the filibuster — because it’s too often a tactic to block racial justice and equity.”
Background
Women earn roughly 82 cents for every dollar a man makes — with an even wider gap for women of color. The pandemic has also had a devastating effect on women in the workforce and exacerbated many of the underlying issues driving the pay gap.
This bill is overwhelmingly popular: a 2019 POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found that a majority of Americans believe the federal government is not doing enough to address the gender pay gap.