On the seventh anniversary of President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, don’t expect Congressman Scott Garrett to join in celebrating the historic legislation aimed at closing our country’s gender pay gap. In 2009, Garrett joined his House Republican colleagues in voting “no” on the bill.
“The anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Act is yet another reminder of how out-of-touch Scott Garrett is,” said Meredith Kelly of the DCCC. “In addition to proudly voting against giving women the opportunity to earn equal pay for equal work, Garrett opposed the Violence Against Women Act. Garrett’s crusade against women’s health and economic security continues to this day, with his repeated votes to block women’s access to life-saving health services.”
Background
Garrett Voted To Block Consideration Of The Paycheck Fairness Act. In April 2015, Garrett voted for blocking consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would end the pay gap between men and women and unsure equal pay for equal work. “The legislation would protect workers from retaliation for sharing information about their wages, require employers to explain any pay disparities among workers performing the same job, and allow employees to seek unlimited punitive damages in wage bias cases.” The previous question passed 239 to 183. A vote against the previous question would have allowed the bill to be considered. [H. Res. 189, Vote #148, 4/14/15; Bloomberg, 4/14/15; Congressional Record, 4/14/15; Democratic Leader – Previous Questions, 4/14/15]
In February 2013, Garrett Voted Against Reauthorizing The Violence Against Women Act. The bill would reauthorize the Act for five years, having previously expired in 2011. The bill would authorize funds for law enforcement training programs, prosecution and victim services. It would also give American Indian tribal courts additional authority over non-tribal domestic violence offenders, and make it illegal for victim services organizations that receive grant funding through the law to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The bill passed with bipartisan support, 286-138. [CQ, 2/28/13; S 47, Vote #55, 2/28/13]