Does Mitt Romney Support Paycheck Fairness? Unlikely.

by: mooncat

Thu May 31, 2012 at 10:00:00 AM CDT

The Paycheck Fairness Act is essential legislation needed to guarantee women receive equal pay for equal work ... because that is not happening in America today:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2009, women who worked full time earned, on average, only 77 cents for every dollar men earned. The figures are even worse for women of color. African American women only earned approximately 62 cents and Latinas only 53 cents for each dollar earned by a white male.

• Alabama's own fair pay heroine, Lilly Ledbetter, supports Paycheck Fairness.
  
  
• The American Association of University Women support Paycheck Fairness.
  
  
• Barack Obama supports Paycheck Fairness.
  
  
• Democratic Senators support Paycheck Fairness.
  
  
• Even Batgirl supports the Paycheck Fairness Act.

But does presidential hopeful Mitt Romney (R) support Paycheck Fairness?  Probably not.  According to the conservative Washington Times:

His campaign didn’t respond to five messages left over the past week seeking his stance on the Paycheck Fairness Act.

...

“Governor Romney only says that he wouldn’t change existing law, raising questions about why he feels the need to parse his words on issues that are so significant to the security of women and families,” said Ben LaBolt, President Obama’s campaign spokesman. “Would he sign a veto of Lilly Ledbetter? Why won’t he express support for the Paycheck Fairness Act?”

This man is running for president, surely American women have a right to know his position on paycheck fairness.  He's asking for our votes, after all.  We've already seen Romney waffle for days on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which Obama signed into law in January 2009.  Why should any woman vote for Romney if he can't take a stand on the simple concept of EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK?

Unlikely to be unrelated: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposes the Paycheck Fairness Act.