Is Sen. Jim DeMint an idiot?

He may be. I turned on C-SPAN to watch a little of the debate on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which should pass today and would help people who experience wage and hiring discrimination to seek redress.

DeMint opposes the bill. But he is offering an amendment to the bill that would create a National Right to Work Law, which is an attack on unions and workers and their ability to collectively bargain for better wages and benefits.

Though his amendment will be defeated here in a minute or two, his logic is painfully silly. He is attaching an amendment to a bill he opposes. Hypothetically, let's say his amendment passed. He would then vote to defeat a bill that carries his amendment; or he would vote for a bill he opposes just to pass his silly amendment?

Aside from the fact that his amendment has nothing to do with pay discrimination and that his actions are ludicrous, DeMint's actions suggest he is simply dishonest and wasting taxpayer dollars forcing the Senate to consider such nonsense.

Tell Senate to Pass Fair Pay

From NOW.org:

Fair Pay Bills Could Come Up in the U.S. Senate THIS Week

Last Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 11) and the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12) by a vote of 247-171 and 256-163 respectively. A good start for the 111th Congress and women's rights supporters.

Contact your senators NOW!

After the House vote on Jan. 9, the two bills were then bundled together into one bill, H.R. 11, and sent to the Senate. There could be a vote on the bundled bill or on the two Senate bills as early as THIS week.

Senators Ted Kennedy and Barbara Mikulski have introduced the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (S. 181) and Senator Hillary Clinton has introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182), and we need an overwhelming number of sponsors and supporters for both bills. We hope that the Senate will vote for the House bill (H.R. 11) in its entirety. Failing that, we want a Senate vote on both of the bills at the same time without fear of a filibuster for either bill. That means we need 60 votes!

Take Action NOW -- please contact both of your senators and ask them to support both of these important pay equity bills.

Tell Congress to Pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act

From the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

Take Action Now:
Call 202-224-3121 and urge Congress to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

During these tough economic times, every penny counts. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 11) and the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12) restore legal standards to sue for discriminatory pay, and advance fair and equal pay for all. Both of these bills could be voted on as early as this Wednesday, January 7. Call 202-224-3121 today and tell Congress to support H.R. 11 and H.R. 12 and ensure pay equity for workers.

Last year, people around the country worked tirelessly to urge Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. However, it was filibustered in the Senate, thereby preventing a full vote in that chamber.

With the start of the 111th Congress, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act can provide American workers their day in court by fixing the Supreme Court ruling on workplace discrimination and reaffirming that civil rights have legally enforceable remedies.

The Paycheck Fairness Act is designed to close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, and narrow the wage gap between men and women in the United States. This bill is an important step toward advancing gender equality in the workplace and can play a critical role in stimulating the economy and ensuring self-sufficiency for workers and their families.

Urge members of Congress (202-224-3121) to support H.R. 11 and H.R. 12 and make pay equity a reality.

Tell the Senate: Pass Fair Pay for Women

From the National Organization for Women:

It has been a year since the House passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act and we must demand that the Senate quit stalling and support a bill to restore our rights. Although opponents of women's fair pay have implied that the House-passed bill has "gone too far," they couldn't be more wrong.

As we promote the Senate version of the bill, the Fair Pay Restoration Act (S.1843), we must remind our Senators that the proposed Act is really quite simple - it does nothing new and simply gives women back the decades-old enforcement rights that the Supreme Court took away from them last year!

Take Action NOW

Action Needed:

In the Senate, the fair pay bill has had a tumultuous year. After a Senate committee hearing on S. 1843 in January, the Senate leadership hoped to expedite fair pay restoration by bringing the House-passed version of the bill directly to the Senate floor in April. But Senate conservatives campaigned against the bill, demanding that the Senate consider another version that had been introduced directly into the Senate, and that they have hearings with an opportunity for discussion and amendments.

The 57 yes votes for the Senate version of the bill weren't enough to stop the Republican filibuster and close debate, so now we must get more sponsors and supporters for the Senate bill before any further Senate action can be taken this fall.

ACT NOW to get more Senate sponsors

On Thursday, July 17th, supporters of fair pay for women gathered for a rally and press event on the Senate side of the Capitol in the "Senate Swamp" along with Lily Ledbetter herself, Kim Gandy, President of NOW, and dozens of supportive senators and Congresswomen, including Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.

These leaders stood together to demand fair pay, and now we must join them to build support for the Senate bill -- send a message now, and also plan to contact your senators when they come back to your state for their August recess.

Call and email your Senators now and demand fair pay for women!

Call now - (202) 224-3121 - and ask for each of your senators' offices in turn, and tell them you want the senator to suppoer the Lilly Ledbetter fair Pay Act in the Senate.