On the seventh anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, working women are still fighting to close the gender wage gap — and Republicans, including Representative Joe Heck, are standing in their way.
- Heck effectively killed the Paycheck Fairness Act when he “made a procedural vote” that prevented an equal pay bill from coming to the House floor for a vote.
- Heck effectively voted against legislation that would have helped women successfully sue employers for pay discrimination. The bill would have also “protect[ed] employees from retaliation” if they inquired about pay equity or filed a charge against their employer.
“Today in Nevada, women make 85 cents to the dollar for the same work as men. Instead of supporting equal pay for equal work and ending discriminatory practices that harm families and the economy, Joe Heck has stood in the way of creating equal opportunity for women,” said American Bridge President Jessica Mackler. “The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a step in the right direction for equal pay. There’s more work to be done and Rep. Joe Heck has proven he won’t stand up for hard working Nevada women.”
Background:
Heck Repeatedly Voted Against The Paycheck Fairness Act
2013: Heck Effectively Voted Against Considering The Paycheck Fairness Act, Which Would Make It Easier For Women To Successfully Sue Over Pay Discrimination, And Increase Employer Penalties In Such Cases. In April 2013, Heck effectively voted to block House consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which, according to the Congressional Research Service, would “increase penalties for employers who pay different wages to men and women for ‘equal work,’ and would add programs for training, research, technical assistance, and pay equity employer recognition awards. The legislation would also make it more difficult for employers to avoid [Equal Pay Act] EPA liability, and proposed safeguards would protect employees from retaliation for making inquiries or disclosures concerning employee wages and for filing a charge or participating in any manner in EPA proceedings. In short, while this legislation would adhere to current equal work standards of the EPA, it would reform the procedures and remedies for enforcing the law.” The vote was on ordering the previous question – and preventing further amendment of – the proposed rule governing House consideration of a bill concerning the National Labor Relations Board. Because the un-amended rule did not permit consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, the effect of the House’s 226 to 192 vote to order the previous question on the rule was to block House consideration of Paycheck Fairness Act for the time being. [House Vote 97, 4/11/13; Congressional Quarterly, 4/11/13; CRS Report #RL31867, 11/22/13; “The Vote on the Previous Question: What It Really Means,” House Rules Committee Minority Staff Memo, 3/18/10]
- Heck “Made A Procedural Vote To Prevent A Bill” For Equal Pay For Women From Reaching The Floor Of The House.According to the Las Vegas Sun, “He has voted to defund planned parenthood and made a procedural vote to prevent a bill promoting equal pay for women from reaching the floor of the House. Heck said the move to bring up the vote on wages was a strategy by Democrats to gain fodder. ‘I firmly believe that everybody doing the same job at the same level should get the same pay,’ he said.” [Las Vegas Sun, 8/12/14]
- Heck’s 2014 Opponent: This “Effectively” Killed The Paycheck Fairness Act “In The Republican-Controlled House Of Representatives.” According to the Las Vegas Sun, “Ciavola says Democrats requested the vote as a ‘ploy to use the procedural ‘no’ vote as evidence of opposition to the actual bill.’ Bilbray says Republicans never brought the bill up for an actual vote, effectively killing it in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.” [Las Vegas Sun, 9/1/13]
- Heck Claimed The Move Was A “Strategy By Democrats To Gain Fodder.” According to the Las Vegas Sun, “He has voted to defund planned parenthood and made a procedural vote to prevent a bill promoting equal pay for women from reaching the floor of the House. Heck said the move to bring up the vote on wages was a strategy by Democrats to gain fodder. ‘I firmly believe that everybody doing the same job at the same level should get the same pay,’ he said.” [Las Vegas Sun, 8/12/14]
2014: Heck Effectively Voted Against A Valid-For-Three-Months-Only Version Of The Paycheck Fairness Act, Which Have Made It Easier For Women To Successfully Sue Their Employers For Pay Discrimination, And Increase Employer Penalties In Such Cases. In September 2014, Heck effectively voted against an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have added “the text of a measure (HR 377) to tighten prohibitions on pay discrimination based on sex.” Specifically, it would have added the Paycheck Fairness Act, which according to the Congressional Research Service, would “increase penalties for employers who pay different wages to men and women for ‘equal work,’ and would add programs for training, research, technical assistance, and pay equity employer recognition awards. The legislation would also make it more difficult for employers to avoid [Equal Pay Act] EPA liability, and proposed safeguards would protect employees from retaliation for making inquiries or disclosures concerning employee wages and for filing a charge or participating in any manner in EPA proceedings. In short, while this legislation would adhere to current equal work standards of the EPA, it would reform the procedures and remedies for enforcing the law.” The underlying bill funded the government through December 11, 2014; and the proposed amendment stated that the equal pay provisions would be in effect only through that date. The vote was on a motion to recommit the bill and report it back with the specified amendment; the House rejected the motion by a vote of 199 to 228. [House Vote 508, 9/17/14; Congressional Quarterly, 9/17/14; H.R. 377, 1/23/13; CRS Report #RL31867, 11/22/13; H.J.Res. 124, 9/17/14; Congressional Record, 9/17/14]
Published: Jan 29, 2016