Column by Joe Gallenstein

We have seen in the last two weeks a president willing to take charge and fight the injustice in our country. He has shut down the unjust and questionably illegal detention center in Guantanamo Bay, signed a bill that makes it easier for women to challenge unequal pay and is proposing a stimulus bill that will either save or create around 3 million jobs. However, the Republicans in Congress cannot help but try to stop him every step of the way.

We heard a lot about the fact that not one member of the Republicans in the House of Representatives voted for the stimulus bill, although it did not stop the bill from passing the House. What we have not heard is that only three of those Republicans voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which allows women to challenge unfair pay practices within 180 days of any discriminatory pay period. This removed the ability companies had of merely hiding discriminatory pay practices for a few months by renewing the chance an employee has to file a complaint after any discriminatory check.

The message that representatives like Hal Rogers, Brett Guthrie and Geoff Davis are sending is that they care more about towing the partisan line that House Minority Leader Congressman John Boenher lays for them, than actually enacting policy that helps working families in this country. Rogers, Davis and most of the GOP caucus have shown they are not concerned about women’s rights. They ignored the basic idea of freedom of opportunity, and instead backed the ability to discriminate in the workplace based on gender, hurting working mothers and their children all over this country.

The Lilly Ledbetter Act is not the only example of Republicans just voting no (although it is without a doubt the most egregious we have seen in this session), as 155 of the Republicans in the House voted against postponing the date for digital television conversion. Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed the same proposal. Clearly, we are seeing House Republicans come together with one purpose: attempt to stop any bill that comes from a Democratic legislator.

I am thankful that so far the Senate Republicans are not merely playing politics and partisan games in regard to the way we run our country. Unfortunately, it appears unlikely the GOP leaders in the House will become willing to set aside such childish things. Instead of stepping up and working with this new president, even as he makes himself readily available to the minority party, they have chosen to disrupt him every chance they get.

I never thought I would be writing this, but it appears Sen. Mitch McConnell is not the most partisan leader in Congress. It appears that McConnell is in fact more progressive than many of our other Republicans representing our Commonwealth in Congress. Although he stood with Rep. Guthrie, Rogers and Rep. Davis on the rights of women in the workplace, he did not attempt to whip his members to kill this much needed legislation.