Did Elizabeth Dole Disclose to Her "Women for Dole" Group That She Thinks They Should Make Less Money Than Men Do?

To be on par with Sen. Burr, Dole should give back 22% of her Congressional salary, more than $214K

October 22, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Elizabeth Dole announced her statewide “Women for Dole” steering committee on Monday in a press release that highlights Dole’s “lifetime record fighting for women.”That “lifetime” must have ended this spring, when Dole voted against the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would have ensured that victims of pay discrimination would be able to hold their employers accountable for each instance of discrimination under existing anti-discrimination laws, rather than being limited to just the first instance. When enlisting these women, did Elizabeth Dole make clear that she approves and supports them making just 78 cents to every dollar that their male counterparts make?

“We can only assume that since she approves of this disparity, Sen. Dole will give back 22% of Senate salary, more than $214,000, so she and Sen. Burr are on par with the rest of North Carolina’s workers,” said Hagan Campaign Communications Director Colleen Flanagan. “When Elizabeth Dole voted against the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, she sent a strong signal to women in North Carolina and across the country that she doesn’t value what they do or how they do it. It is abhorrent that in 2008, women are paid 78 cents for every dollar that a man doing the same work earns. It’s embarrassing that a woman who claims to have broken countless glass ceilings would allow fellow women to continue to be trapped.”

Lilly Ledbetter, the plaintiff in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and inspiration for the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, will be campaigning with Kay on Monday to talk about why the pay disparity between women and men is unacceptable in today’s world. Kay released her statewide “Women for Kay” group earlier in October, with the names of the more than 75 women who are active in their communities and pledged to work on Kay’s behalf as part of that group. Earlier this month, Kay also outlined her plan to make sure women are protected and successful at home and in the workplace.

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