Quote:
Originally Posted by janmcn
I forgot the biggest example of republican obstruction: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the first bill President Obama signed into law after taking office. Ninety-eight percent of republican house members voted no. That's correct 98% voted no.
The next time you shop at Publix, tell the cashier that you don't think SHE should make as much money as the man next to her doing the exact same job. UNBELIEVABLE
Republicans will try to spin these votes every which way come election time, but unfortunately for them, all the votes are in the Congressional Record.
National Committee on Pay Equity NCPE |
The Republicans are concerned with the rising specter of fraud accompanying this bill this time around.
There is the problem of U-visas which are given to illegal immigrants who can aid a legal investigation, but immigrants who apply for U-visas do not need to assist in actual investigations, Republicans say, so an illegal immigrant facing deportation could apply for one without ever needing to aid law enforcement. Leahy’s bill does not contain provisions to prevent such abuse.
This new incarnations has no provisions against marriage fraud according to Republicans. If abuse is alleged a person can self petition without their "spouse" being involved. Another scenario ripe for fraud.
The revised bill also provides unprecedented legal jurisdiction for alleged crimes of violence committed against American Indian women by non-Indians on Indian reservations. The Supreme Court ruled in 1978 that tribes do not have authority over non-Indians, even if the crime occurs on the reservation.
This provision in the act would allow tribes to prosecute offenders who are not American Indian or Alaska Native, when their victims are, and the violence happens on a reservation.
Also the Republicans are said to be wary about a lack of oversight for $600,000 in grants contained in the bill. The Government Accountability Office has found that funding is not adequately tracked to evaluate the effectiveness of VAWA programs, and that the Office of Inspector General has raised questioned about the size of the grants and the grantees’ use of the money.
Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley introduced his own version of VAWA in committee to address those issues and it was this version of the bill Democrats rejected.
So, when you just point to wage concerns between men and women workers, it's only a part of this bill and not the reason why Republicans rejected the Democrat's version of the bill with it's lack of oversight and it's granting of powers to Indian tribes that is against all Supreme Court precedent.
The whole story is that the Democrats are voting against oversight of the money being funneled into this version of the bill, and against the oversight of illegal immigrants who may be "covered" under this version of the bill.
I'm glad you brought this to our attention Jan. It's one more reason to vote against the Democrat Party.
Violence Against Women Act | Senate Republicans | The Daily Caller