Constituents Protest Mark Kirk's Vote on Paycheck Fairness Act

A group of Congressman Mark Kirk's (R-IL) constituents are protesting his July 31 vote against the Paycheck Fairness Act. They brought a letter signed by 120 constituents to Rep. Kirk’s office that decried his opposition to the bill, according to Progress Illinois.

The letter concludes by asking, "So why, Representative Kirk, did you turn your back on the hundreds of thousands of women in your district by voting against our civil rights? While we may not yet have equality at the workplace, we do have equality in the ballot box and will be exercising that right come November."

The entire Illinois GOP congressional delegation, including Kirk voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act. The legislation strengthens the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by introducing non-retaliation requirements and increasing penalties on employers, among other provisions. Though the bill allows women to sue for punitive and compensatory damages under the Equal Pay Act, it does not lift caps on sexual discrimination cases that women face under Title VII. The legislation passed the House of Representatives, 247-178.

Media Resources: Progress Illinois, 8/7/08; Open Congress, 8/11/08; House of Representatives, 7/31/08; Feminist Newswire, 8/1/08

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