By Steve Tetreault
Stephens Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — In one of the first actions by the new Congress that convened last week, the House passed bills aimed at combating wage discrimination against women.
Democratic sponsors said the legislation would close loopholes that limit a worker’s ability to sue employers for restitution and punitive damages in wage disparity cases.
The bills were selected by House leaders as the first ones of consequence to be passed after Democrats widened their House majority by 79 seats in the November elections.
Critics said the measures would subject businesses to frivolous lawsuits, and was a favor to trial lawyers who handle such cases.
One bill, passed 247-171, would change the statute of limitations on wage discrimination suits.
It was named after Lily Ledbetter, an Alabama woman who lost a 2007 Supreme Court case. Justices ruled 5-4 that workers have to sue within 180 days of receiving their first discriminatory paycheck, which shut out Ledbetter who discovered the issue only after years of employment by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, voted for the bill. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, voted against it. Reps Marion Berry, D-Gillett, and Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, did not vote.
A second bill would eliminate the cap on most damages in pay discrimination suits, and shift the burden of proof to employers in such cases.
It passed 256-163. Ross voted for it. Boozman voted against it. Berry and Snyder did not vote.
New Rules Passed
Democrat tightened their control last week by pushing through several changes to internal House rules.
Committee chairman no long are limited to six years. Another change would make it harder for Republicans to offer alternatives to Democratic bills. Also, critics said the “pay-as-you-go” requirement that new spending must be balanced by cuts elsewhere was diluted.
Republicans cried foul, arguing the new rules were a power grab that was not consistent with President-elect Barack Obama’s pledge for bipartisanship.
But Democrats argued that term limits for chairman merely created frantic scrambling as climbers perpetually tried to position themselves to move up.
As far as the budget changes, they argued that flexibility is important as Congress responds to the economic crisis.
Democrats prevailed on the rules changes on a largely party-line vote, 242-181. Berry, Ross and Snyder voted for the changes. Boozman voted against them.
Library Disclosures Ordered
Voting 388-31, the House passed a bill requiring charities set up to build presidential libraries to make public their financial backers.
The public disclosure bill aimed to shed light on a practice that Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y. said carried an “enormous potential for abuse.”
There are few restrictions on fundraising for presidential libraries, which are allowed to accept large donations from corporations and foreign nations among others.
The bill stemmed from the controversy earlier this decade when it was revealed that President Clinton’s library foundation had accepted a large contribution from the ex-wife of convicted financier Marc Rich, who received a pardon on Clinton’s final day in office.
Foundations raising library funds would have to make quarterly reports of donors who give $200 or more. The bill is not retroactive, so it won’t impact the library planned for President Bush.
Boozman, Berry and Ross voted for the bill. Snyder did not vote.
