Labor Day Countdown: Congressman Rehberg Opposes Equal Pay for Women

The following is a part of a series of Congressman Rehberg’s worst quotes  and votes against the middle class, leading up to Labor Day.

Montana’s millionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg has a long and well established history of opposing equal pay for women.

• Rehberg voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. In 2009, Rehberg voted against a bill that allowed employees to sue employers for wage discrimination within 180 days of their last paycheck affected by the alleged discrimination. The measure was designed to overturn a 2007 Supreme Court decision (Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.) that ruled a  worker could not bring a wage discrimination suit more than 180 days after the initial discriminatory act. The bill passed 250-177. [S 181, Vote #37 , 1/27/09]
• Rehberg opposed paycheck equity measures -- In 2008, Rehberg voted against a bill that would lift the cap on compensatory and punitive damages that women may be awarded in wage discrimination cases. The bill would also require employers who contended that pay discrepancies did not result from discrimination to give an actual business reason for why female employees were paid less than their male counterparts. [CQ Today¸ 7/31/08] The bill passed 247-178. [HR 1338, Vote #556, 7/31/08]
• Rehberg opposed bill to prevent wage discrimination -- In 2007, Rehberg voted against a bill to protect victims of wage discrimination. The bill amended the 1964 Civil Rights Act to allow employees to file charges of pay discrimination within 180 days of the last received paycheck affected by the alleged discriminatory decision. The legislation was introduced in response to a May 29, 2007 Supreme Court ruling, Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., a 5-4 ruling decried by civil rights activists. The bill passed 225-199. [HR 2831, Vote #768, 7/31/07]