On Tuesday, the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2014 failed to pass out of the United States Senate on a 53-44 party-line vote. The proposed legislation would have strengthened laws prohibiting pay discrimination based upon gender. In the senate, a bill usually requires a vote of at least 60 members to move forward to the floor for consideration. This parliamentary process allows a minority of senators to effectively stop a bill that would pass on a majority vote.
The bill sponsor, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), let her colleagues have it after the failure to allow a vote on the legislation. Mikuski vowed to keep pushing for the legislation saying; “We will be back another day for another vote.”
Mikulski blasted the vote, and the stereotype that says women get too emotional over the issue of paycheck fairness.
“Now I’ll tell you what I’m tired of hearing, that somehow or another we’re too emotional when we talk,” Mikulski said in a floor speech. “You know, when we raise an issue, we’re too emotional. Well, I am emotional.”
“I am so emotional about this. I am telling you, if we don’t pass this bill, I’m so emotional, I’m going to press on,” she continued. “It brings tears to my eyes to know how women every single day are working so hard and are getting paid less. It makes me emotional to hear that. Then when I hear all of these phony reasons — some are mean and some are meaningless — I do get emotional. I get angry, I get outraged, I get volcanic.”
Below is a video compilation from NBC news of her comments on the senate floor after the procedural vote.