Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, the CT GOP’s star attraction, voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Violence Against Women Act, Affordable Care Act & ending the shutdown

Hartford, Conn. — Every couple of years, the Republican Party of Connecticut goes through the motions of “rebranding” itself– usually after taking a beating at the polls or a reckless Republican Tea Party move like damaging the economy by shutting down the government for weeks. True to their form, the Connecticut Republican Party kicked off their “Women’s Coalition” at a private home in Greenwich yesterday, with Tea Party all star Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. This is the very same Congresswoman Foxx who voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Violence Against Women Act, the Affordable Care Act and ending the Republican Tea Party government shutdown. And in Connecticut, House and Senate Republicans voted against a state health insurance exchange, against raising the minimum wage, against paid sick leave and against more funding to grow small businesses in the state.

 

“The Connecticut Republican Party can try to rebrand itself all it wants, but that doesn’t change the fact that Republicans in Washington DC and Hartford are consistently working against, and voting against, the issues that matter most to Connecticut women– jobs, fair pay, the economy and health care,” said Connecticut Democratic Party Chair Nancy DiNardo. “Shutting down the government and damaging Connecticut’s economic recovery to try to take away women’s access to affordable health care under the Affordable Care Act is what the national Republican Party is doing for women. Connecticut Republicans are in lockstep, with House and Senate Republicans voting against establishing a state health insurance exchange, against raising the minimum wage, against paid sick leave for workers and against more funding for small business economic development. Marketing gimmicks with Tea Partiers don’t change those facts.”

 

“The CT GOP doesn’t have a public relations problem, it has a public policy problem.”

Background:

 

October 2013: Connecticut Republican Party Launched New Women’s Coalition Initiative. According to the Hartford Courant, ” The Connecticut Republican party is launching a new initiative aimed at closing the electoral gender gap. The women’s coalition aims to reach female voters by highlighting core principles of the Republican party, such as a smaller, less intrusive government while downplaying abortion and other issues that have divided the party. The group held its inaugural event Monday.” [Hartford Courant, Capitol Watch Blog, 10/22/13]

 

• Event Featured Rep. Virginia Foxx. According to the Hartford Courant, ” The Connecticut Republican party is launching a new initiative aimed at closing the electoral gender gap. […] The group held its inaugural event Monday. While the meeting, held in a private home in Greenwich, was closed to the media, two of the featured guests, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, and former U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York, agreed to a brief interview afterward.” [Hartford Courant, Capitol Watch Blog, 10/22/13]

Foxx Voted Against The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Of 2009. [Vote #37, 1/27/09]

 

Foxx Voted Against The Affordable Care Act. [Vote #165, 3/21/10]

 

Foxx Voted Against Reauthorization Of The Violence Against Women Act. [Vote #55, 2/28/13]

 

Foxx Voted Against Ending The Government Shutdown. [Vote #550, 10/16/13]

 

National Women’s Law Center: Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Restored The Protection Against Pay Discrimination Stripped Away By The Supreme Court In 2007. According to the National Women’s Law Center, “To help address this unfair and unacceptable wage gap, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act on January 29, 2009,1 restoring the protection against pay discrimination that was stripped away by the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The Act reinstates prior law and makes clear that pay discrimination claims on the basis of sex, race, national origin, age, religion and disability ‘accrue’ whenever an employee receives a discriminatory paycheck, as well as when a discriminatory pay decision or practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the decision or practice, or when a person is otherwise affected by the decision or practice.” [National Women’s Law Center, 1/29/13]

 

HHS Official: With The Affordable Care Act, “Being A Woman Will No Longer Be A Pre-Existing Condition.” In August 2013, Dr. Nancy Lee, a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services wrote, “Thanks to the health care law, insurance coverage is also improving for millions of women, ensuring that they can get coverage that meets their unique needs. Starting in 2014, a woman cannot be denied coverage because of a pre-existing or current health condition, like if she’s had breast cancer, depression, or is pregnant. A woman will no longer be charged more for the same coverage as a man just because she’s a woman, meaning that being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition.” [U.S. Dept Of Health & Human Services, 8/7/13]

 

HHS Official: The Affordable Care Act “Requires Most Health Plans And Insurance Policies” To Cover Free Breast And Cervical Cancer Screenings, Free Contraception, Free Breastfeeding Support And Equipment, And Free Counseling For Domestic Violence. In August 2013, Dr. Nancy Lee, a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services wrote, “Thanks to the health care law, insurance coverage is also improving for millions of women, ensuring that they can get coverage that meets their unique needs. Starting in 2014, a woman cannot be denied coverage because of a pre-existing or current health condition, like if she’s had breast cancer, depression, or is pregnant. A woman will no longer be charged more for the same coverage as a man just because she’s a woman, meaning that being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition. More women will also have access to maternity coverage and care for their newborns. In fact, current estimates show that at least 8.7 million women will gain maternity coverage because of the health care law. And that’s not all.  An estimated 62 million Americans will gain expanded coverage of mental health and substance use disorder benefits under the Affordable Care Act.” [U.S. Dept. Of Health & Human Services, 7/29/13]

 

With The Affordable Care Act, Over 1.5 Million Connecticut Residents Cannot Be Denied Health Insurance Coverage Because Of Their Pre-Existing Health Conditions. According to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, “As many as 1,554,628 non-elderly Connecticut residents have some type of pre-existing health condition, including 191,534 children.  Today, insurers can no longer deny coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition, like asthma or diabetes, under the health care law. And beginning in 2014, health insurers will no longer be able to charge more or deny coverage to anyone because of a pre-existing condition.  The health care law also established a temporary health insurance program for individuals who were denied health insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition.  601 Connecticut residents with pre-existing conditions have gained coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan since the program began.” [U.S. Dept. Of Health & Human Services, 7/29/13]

 

Over 600,000 Connecticut Women Have Access To Free Recommended Preventative Services. According to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, ” The health care law requires many insurance plans to provide coverage without cost sharing to enrollees for a variety of preventive health services, such as colonoscopy screening for colon cancer, Pap smears and mammograms for women, well-child visits, and flu shots for all children and adults. In 2011 and 2012, 71 million Americans with private health insurance gained preventive service coverage with no cost-sharing, including 945,000 in Connecticut. And for policies renewing on or after August 1, 2012, women can now get coverage without cost-sharing of even more preventive services they need.  Approximately 47 million women, including 637,900 in Connecticut will now have guaranteed access to additional preventive services without cost-sharing.” [U.S. Dept. Of Health & Human Services, 7/29/13]

 

New York Times: Shutdown Estimated To Reduce 4th Quarter GDP Growth By 0.2 To 0.6 Percent. According to the New York Times, “A recent report from Macroeconomic Advisers, a forecasting firm, estimated that government reductions in discretionary spending as a share of the economy since 2010 had pushed the national unemployment rate higher by 0.8 percentage point than it otherwise would have been, the equivalent of 1.2 million absent jobs. Those same spending cuts have also shaved an estimated 0.7 percentage point off output growth each year. Those drags are separate from the costs of the shutdown, which are expected to reduce the annualized growth rate of gross domestic product in the  fourth quarter by 0.2 to 0.6 percentage point, depending on which estimate is used.” [New York Times, 10/22/13]

 

93 Percent Of Connecticut Senate Republicans Voted Against Establishing A State Health Insurance Exchange. In May 2011, 13, or 93 percent of, Senate Republicans Voted Against Establishing A State Health Insurance Exchange. The partisan breakdown of that vote is detailed in the table below:

Party	For	Against	Absent And Not Voting
Democrats	22	0	0
Republicans	1	13	0
Total:	23	13	0

[Public Act 11-53, Signed 7/1/11; Vote #305, 5/31/11]

 

100 Percent Of Present Connecticut House Republicans Voted Against Paid Sick Leave. In June 2011, all present House Republicans voted against requiring most employers of 50 or more employees to provide  certain employees paid sick leave. Three House Republicans were absent and not voting. The partisan breakdown is detailed in the table below:

Party	For	Against	Absent And Not Voting
Democrats	76	16	7
Republicans	0	49	3
Total:	76	65	10

[Public Act 11-52, Signed 7/1/11; Vote #273, 6/4/11]

 

Connecticut Senate Republicans Voted In Lockstep Against Up To $100 Million For Small Business Express For FY 14-15. In June 2013, 14, or 100 percent of, Senate Republicans voted against using the proceeds from bond sales to fund up to $100 million for Small Business Express for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. The partisan breakdown is detailed in the table below:

Party	For	Against	Absent And Not Voting
Democrats	21	0	1
Republicans	0	14	0
Total:	21	14	1

[Public Act 13-239, Signed 7/1/13; Vote #559, 6/4/13]

 

Connecticut Senate Republicans Voted In Lockstep Against STEP Up For Vets, Which Provided Businesses Incentives To Hire Unemployed Combat Veterans. In June 2012, 14, or all Senate Republicans, voted against establishing the Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment program, or STEP Up For Vets. The program provided $10 million to subsidize businesses’ costs of hiring unemployed veterans during their first 180 days on the job. STEP Up For Vets grants would completely subsidize the first 30 days of the employee’s wages (up to a maximum of $20 per hour), and then gradually recede for the remaining 150 days. The partisan breakdown is detailed in the table below:

Party	For	Against	Absent And Not Voting
Democrats	22	0	0
Republicans	0	14	0
Total:	22	14	0

[June Special Session Public Act 12-1, Signed 6/15/12; Vote #465, 6/13/12]

 

Connecticut Senate Republicans Voted In Lockstep Against Increasing The Minimum Wage To $9 Per Hour In 2015. In May 2013, all Senate Republicans voted against increasing the from $8.25 to $8.70 in January 2014 and $9 in January 2015. The partisan breakdown of the vote is detailed in the table below:

Party	For	Against	Absent And Not Voting
Democrats	21	1	0
Republicans	0	14	0
Total:	21	15	0

[Public Act 13-117, Signed 6/6/13; Vote #377, 5/23/13]

 

National Women’s Law Center: Best Way To Address Women’s Pay Gap Was To Raise The Minimum Wage. According to the Yale Daily News, “Katherine Gallagher Robbins, a senior policy analyst at the National Women’s Law Center, said that Connecticut politicians can address much of this gap by creating policies to address women’s tendency to accept lower-paying jobs. Such initiatives, she said, include raising the minimum wage and creating training programs to prepare women to enter more lucrative professions.” [Yale Daily News, 1/25/13]

 

National Women’s Law Center: 6 In 10 Connecticut Minimum Wage Workers Are Women. [National Women’s Law Center, 6/25/13]

 

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