Senate Democrats plan to force a symbolic vote Tuesday on the
Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA), a controversial piece of legislation that
experts say would do little to combat employment discrimination while
enriching a key Democratic constituency.
“This legislation has nothing to do with ending discrimination,” said Carrie Lukas, managing director of the Independent Women’s Forum. “It wouldn’t even benefit women, it would benefit lawyers.”
Democrats argue that the PFA is a necessary complement to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the first piece of legislation President Obama signed upon taking office.
The Fair Pay Act was designed to make it easier for female workers to file discrimination lawsuits, but such lawsuits have actually declined slightly since 2009. Since Obama took office, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed just six gender-based wage discrimination lawsuits, down from 18 filed during the last three years of George W. Bush’s term.
The PFA would make such lawsuits more common and far more lucrative, critics say, by making it easier for employees to join large class-action lawsuits and allowing them to seek unlimited punitive damages for discrimination.
The trial lawyers who would administer and profit from such lawsuits constitute one of the Democratic Party’s most reliable sources of political contributions.
Lawyers and law firms contributed more than $230 million in 2008 to federal political candidates and committees, 76 percent of which went to Democrats. The industry gave $43.2 million to Obama in 2008, and was his top source of campaign donations.
Read more: http://freebeacon.com/the-equal-pay-payoff/
“This legislation has nothing to do with ending discrimination,” said Carrie Lukas, managing director of the Independent Women’s Forum. “It wouldn’t even benefit women, it would benefit lawyers.”
Democrats argue that the PFA is a necessary complement to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the first piece of legislation President Obama signed upon taking office.
The Fair Pay Act was designed to make it easier for female workers to file discrimination lawsuits, but such lawsuits have actually declined slightly since 2009. Since Obama took office, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed just six gender-based wage discrimination lawsuits, down from 18 filed during the last three years of George W. Bush’s term.
The PFA would make such lawsuits more common and far more lucrative, critics say, by making it easier for employees to join large class-action lawsuits and allowing them to seek unlimited punitive damages for discrimination.
The trial lawyers who would administer and profit from such lawsuits constitute one of the Democratic Party’s most reliable sources of political contributions.
Lawyers and law firms contributed more than $230 million in 2008 to federal political candidates and committees, 76 percent of which went to Democrats. The industry gave $43.2 million to Obama in 2008, and was his top source of campaign donations.
Read more: http://freebeacon.com/the-equal-pay-payoff/
No comments:
Post a Comment